Buzz
While many individuals possess basic talents like singing and dancing, there are those who have abilities far beyond the norm, with some unable to even control these extraordinary skills.
10. Orlando Serrell
Though brain damage is a tragic occurrence, a rare number of individuals who suffer from it gain extraordinary new abilities. These individuals, known as 'acquired savants,' often display exceptional mathematical talents or, for instance, may be able to replicate the intricate details of an entire city like Rome.
In 1979, during a baseball game in elementary school, Orlando Serrell was struck on the head by a stray ball. Despite the blow, he continued playing. Over the next year, he experienced intense headaches lasting for hours, but eventually, he discovered that he could perform remarkable calendar calculations, such as determining the number of Mondays in 1980. Along with this skill, he could recall every detail of every day, much like a person with hyperthymesia. Although Serrell's case involved a less severe form of brain injury, it was still a form of head trauma.
When it comes to savants, ordinary people often envy their exceptional abilities. In reality, the reason savants possess such extraordinary intelligence is that they interpret everything literally and focus on minute details that most of us overlook. This is why savants struggle with tasks like exams, especially in school. These tests often ask broader questions, which don’t align with the focused, detail-oriented way that savants think.
9. Thai Ngoc
In 1973, Vietnamese farmer Thai Ngoc developed a fever, which initially seemed inconsequential. However, after the fever subsided, he developed severe insomnia. Thinking it would resolve in a week, he didn’t give it much attention. Now, over 40 years later, he still hasn’t slept since that fateful night. After more than 12,000 nights of sleeplessness, one would assume he’d be dead. Yet, after medical examinations, the only issue discovered was minor liver problems. Ngoc’s only complaint is that he’s somewhat irritable from not having slept in over three decades. He’s tried numerous home remedies and even drowned himself in alcohol, but nothing has worked. So why does his insomnia continue after all these years?
One possible explanation is a phenomenon known as 'microsleep.' This occurs when a part of your brain gets fatigued and decides to take a brief nap for a few seconds. Many people have likely experienced this during moments of exhaustion—our brain momentarily shuts off and then reactivates. A classic example of microsleep is falling asleep while driving. This might be how Ngoc has managed to survive without sleep for so long.
8. Most Tibetans
Sherpas are renowned for guiding climbers to the summit of Mount Everest, the tallest peak on Earth. The Sherpas from Nepal and the majority of Tibetans have unique traits that help them endure life at altitudes around 4 kilometers (13,000 ft) above sea level. Until recently, researchers were puzzled by how they managed to thrive in such conditions. Now, it’s understood that 87 percent of Tibetans possess a specific gene that enables them to utilize up to 40 percent less oxygen than most people.
The EPAS1 gene plays a crucial role in allowing Tibetans to survive at such high elevations. For most individuals, ascending to altitudes as high as 3 kilometers (10,000 ft) leads to an increase in their hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is the substance in our blood that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. However, the EPAS1 gene prevents Tibetans’ hemoglobin levels from rising too much, which helps avoid the heart-related issues that would typically affect others.
Researchers believe that Tibetans inherited this remarkable ability from the now-extinct Denisovans. These ancient beings once inhabited the region that is now home to Tibetans, and their fossils have been found to carry the same EPAS1 gene. It appears that Tibetans (and some Pacific Islanders) are the only people with this gene, as the Denisovans interbred, continuously passing down the same genetic traits until their eventual extinction.
7. Elisabeth Sulser
Most people are now familiar with the peculiar condition known as 'synesthesia,' where the senses become cross-wired. For example, eating a red Skittle may make it taste like cherry, even if there’s no cherry flavor. Some individuals even experience the sensation of feeling colors with their eyes closed. For Elisabeth Sulser, her senses of sight, hearing, and taste have become intertwined, allowing her to see vibrant sound waves and taste music. She assumed this was a common experience, but it wasn’t until later that she realized others couldn’t see and taste music in the same way. This realization left her feeling isolated, unable to share her unique experiences. However, synesthesia has its challenges: those who see sounds can become distracted in noisy environments and often suffer from frequent headaches.
Fortunately, Sulser is a musician, and her extraordinary ability enhances her musical creativity, enabling her to compose symphonies and melodies inspired by colors. Though still a somewhat enigmatic condition, Sulser’s synesthesia appears to have no harmful effects, especially since it only involves her perception of music (rather than all sounds).
6. SM
Known only by the initials 'SM,' this woman is affected by an unidentified condition that has led to the complete degeneration of her amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for controlling fear. Now a mother of three, SM is unable to feel fear, no matter how frightening the situation. In a study designed to test her fear responses, SM watched some of the scariest films and even touched a snake's tongue.
As a child, SM remembers being afraid of the dark, but by her early teenage years, her amygdala had already been destroyed. She even recounts an incident where she was walking through a park at night and encountered a man who ran up to her and placed a knife to her throat. Instead of panicking, she calmly told him he would need to go through her guardian angel first, which scared him off. She now describes the event as 'strange.'
5. Dean Karnazes
Anyone who has participated in a marathon knows that there comes a moment when you have to take a quick rest. But for Dean Karnazes, there's something about his muscles that lets him run indefinitely.
Typically, the human body relies on glucose for energy, which also produces lactate. If lactate builds up too much, the body starts producing lactic acid, causing it to shut down. However, Dean’s body doesn’t respond to lactate buildup, allowing him to run without ever feeling fatigued. He first began running in high school when he joined the track team. While his teammates could only manage 15 laps, Dean ran 105 before he was told to stop. He stopped running entirely until he reached 30 years old.
Curious about his extraordinary ability, some scientists in Colorado decided to test his endurance. They predicted the treadmill test would last no longer than 15 minutes, but Dean continued running for over an hour. Thanks to this remarkable capability, he once completed 50 marathons in 50 days.
4. Tibetan Monks
In Southern Asia, specifically in Tibet, monks claim they have mastered the art of controlling their body temperature through an ancient meditation practice known as “Tum-mo.” In Buddhist belief, the life we know is not the only existence; there is an alternate reality. By practicing Tum-mo, these monks are said to be reaching that other realm. Through this practice, they generate a significant amount of heat in their bodies.
During tests conducted to investigate this extraordinary ability, scientists were amazed to discover that the temperature of the monks’ fingers and toes increased by an astonishing 8 degrees Celsius (17 °F). Tum-mo isn’t the only meditation technique Tibetan monks practice. Other meditation practices allow them to slow down their metabolism, the process that determines how quickly the body breaks down calories. People with a slow metabolism tend to gain weight more quickly because their bodies cannot process calories efficiently. Through meditation, the monks can reduce their metabolism by up to 64 percent, enabling them to conserve energy more effectively than the average person. In comparison, most people’s metabolism slows by only 15 percent while they sleep.
3. Natalya Demkina
In Saransk, Russia, a young girl named Natalya Demkina developed the ability to see inside people’s bodies. From a young age, Demkina attracted people who came to her apartment seeking her help in diagnosing their illnesses by looking inside them.
Intrigued by this “X-ray girl,” Dr. Ray Hyman decided to bring her to New York City for testing. One of the tests involved six patients with various conditions—such as a removed appendix or a metal plate in their skulls from a previous brain surgery—and one control patient with no health issues. Demkina was given six cards, each describing one of the conditions, and the patients were brought in one by one. She correctly identified four of the conditions, which sounds impressive (even though she claims to be able to see down to the cellular level).
Interestingly, however, she confused the metal-plated skull with the removed appendix, which are significant errors for someone claiming to possess X-ray vision. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d prefer to see a doctor or someone who claims to have X-ray vision.
2. Eskil Ronningsbakken
Eskil Ronningsbakken, one of the most daring and remarkable performance artists on the planet, discovered his passion for balancing at just five years old. His fascination was sparked when he watched a person perform remarkable feats on television. At 18, he left home and joined a circus, where he performed for 11 years. He knew without a doubt that balancing was his calling.
Now in his early thirties, Ronningsbakken continues to risk his life by performing incredible acts such as riding a bicycle upside down on a tightrope stretched over a canyon, and doing handstands on a bar dangling beneath a flying hot-air balloon. In one of his jaw-dropping performances, he even rides a bicycle backward down one of Norway’s most winding roads. However, Ronningsbakken isn’t without fear—he admits that he feels anxious before some of his stunts. He believes that fear is a fundamental aspect of being human, and if he ever lost his ability to feel fear, he would stop performing altogether, fearing that he would no longer be fully human.
1. Chris Robinson
Chris Robinson woke up one day from a vivid dream in which he saw two planes collide in midair. Since that moment, he claims to have developed the ability to see the future in his dreams. Robinson also has the unusual ability to wake up precisely when he wants and keeps a detailed dream journal to record his nightly visions.
Stan Lee, with the assistance of Daniel Browning Smith, decided to test Robinson by creating a special experiment. Lee informed Robinson that they would visit 10 different locations the following day and that Robinson’s job was to dream about each one. The next day, Robinson documented the locations he had dreamt about and sealed them in envelopes. As they arrived at each place, they opened the respective envelope, and to their surprise, Robinson had accurately predicted every location.
Although this seemed highly questionable, Robinson was subjected to another test. This time, he had to determine the contents of a box. Over 12 days, Robinson made 12 separate guesses about various items inside the box. He correctly identified only 2 out of the 12 items, which wasn’t enough to provide any conclusive evidence of psychic powers.
