[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ1gpqr0kkA?rel=0&w=615&h=346]
This woman in China writes with either hand. Wait, let’s be clearer about that: She writes with both hands. At the same time. In two different languages. In different directions. No, you probably can’t do that, but you’ll probably try, and if you succeed, get someone to post video of it like this one, because it’s — here’s that word again — amazing.
As in so many of these videos of people doing things you just don’t see being done, I wonder how someone discovers she can do it. How does it come up? I wouldn’t have even thought to TRY and write two things at once in different languages at the same time. Of course, it would help if I could understand anything other than English and crude, remedial forms of Spanish and German, but, still, I wouldn’t think to do that even if I was fluent. It’s a talent, that’s for sure.
I can do it with English and Spanish. Try my exercise! http://youtu.be/uz1kjPy6mXo
President James Garfield could do the same thing, he would write in both Latin and Ancient Greek while speaking in English.
Garfield was also one of our nerdier presidents. As an amateur mathematician he devised a proof to Pythagorean’s Theorem.
Also, he was famously bad at dodging bullets.
The human brain is crazy-awesome. There’s a Radiolab short from last year with a similar theme – http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/jul/26/4-track-mind/