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History’s fascination for the ‘idiot savant’

Aeon Daily <support@aeon.co>

October 9, 11:00 am

History’s fascination for the ‘idiot savant’
Plus: An origin story of fake news and technological anxiety  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏  ­͏

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Thursday 9 October 2025

aeon DAILY

Essay / Neurodiversity

The puzzle of the ‘idiot savant’

The convergence of singular talent and profound disability confounded scientists eager to place humans into neat categories

Violeta Ruiz

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