Brad Williams can tell you what he was doing on any given day for almost every day of his life. He can also tell you what world events happened that day.
How can he do that you ask? Well Brad Williams is one of only three people in the world identified with this off-the-charts autobiographical memory known as hyperthymestic syndrome.

The name was given by researchers at the University of California-Irvine, derived from the Greek words for excessive (hyper) and remembering (thymesis).

Unlike most people whose memories fade with time, much of Williams' life is etched indelibly in his mind.

"It's just there," said Williams, 51, who reports the news for a family of radio stations in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
California researchers are now studying Williams and the two others with hyperthymestic Syndrome - a man in Ohio and woman in California - hoping to gain new insights into how a superior memory works.

In this age of instant information, what can you do with phenomenal recall?

"I don't really know. I've thought about it for years," said Williams, the 1969 Wisconsin Spelling Bee champion. Williams appeared on "Jeopardy!" but finished second.
Go figure!

Labels: Hyperthymestic Syndrome