College Dropout Becomes Math Genius After Mugging

The muggers who brutally beat Jason Padgett outside of a karaoke club in Tacoma, Wa. a decade ago made off with his $99 leather jacket. However, they left the now-41-year old with something much more valuable: A unique genius for math.

Padgett, a college dropout, was never much for numbers or drawing before the assault, in which he was kicked repeatedly in the head. But a couple days after it happened he became beset with urges to draw intricate diagrams.

He didn’t know what they were at first, but it turned out he was sketching fractals that contained complex mathematical equations, generally used to map biological design. Padgett can also draw a visual representation of Pi, a skill no other human has been able to demonstrate.

According to neuroscientist and philosophy professor Berit Brogaard, the head injuries Padgett suffered during the mugging caused healthy parts of his brain to overcompensate, making him what is called an “acquired savant.”

Padgett, who works in a furniture store, sells his drawings here. He hopes to one day teach his math skills to others. Check out more of his unique sketches below.