Genius: A Dr. Sanjay Gupta Primetime Special -- CNN - Sunday, September 17, 2006 - 10:00 p.m. (EDT)

Our views of the geniuses among us range from awe to skepticism. Little wonder when we have so little exposure to the most gifted of the gifted. In this CNN documentary, Genius: A Dr. Sanjay Gupta Primetime Special, the network's senior medical correspondent explores what genius really means...and how exclusive the club really is. We are introduced to "prodigious savants," such as the young autistic boy, unable as an infant to tolerate noises or music of almost any kind, who suddenly exhibited a prodigious ability to play the piano. Before he was 10 years old, he was an accomplished pianist and selling CDs. We also hear of so-called "acquired savants," who through some injury become enabled of incredible talents. We meet one young man who, after being struck in the head, is suddenly able to recall details of almost any day in his past. Name a date, and he can tell you the day of the week, the weather and details of what he did that day. The special does not resolve the nature vs. nurture debate, other than to conclude that a combination of both seems necessary. It tantalizes all of us, though, to wonder if we all have the ability somewhere within to display the same kind of genius we have generally attributed to only a few others.