> The same goes for his powers of recall (it's a parlour trick and something you can train at) except it's also possible to fake it, in the way I suggest above, because nobody really keeps that sort of fact handy and they'll probably not be given the time to check.
Also, yes they do. They absolutely did that with Kim Peek. People investigated him with lists of such facts at hand.
> Right off the bat, the very fact that the two things he's remembered for -calculating birth days and recalling news items-
You have no idea what you're talking about. He was known for neither of those things.
That's what's on wikipedia. Why am I absolutely required to know who Kim Peek was? Because they based a film on him, and it sold well?
Also, for the love of god, listen to yourself. People "tested" him with lists of facts? And you don't think it's even remotely possible that those people were planted in the audience?
There is even a word for that thing: the people who do that are called "shills" [1]. In popular shows they're paid for it, from the persons who run the show, to make sure that nobody asks questions the mentalist (or the medium etc) can't answer.
You can't base anything on something that happened in a show! Give me a break.
Question all the things.
Question the Reason of Questioning.
Honestly, if nothing on earth convinces you, and everything is just one huge collaborate conspiracy to invent a mentally retarded guy, who worked like a info vending machine.
I have one final question. If such a savant exists, would you travel to his location and question him in person?
For this unreasonable burden of proof you demand, would you carry that stone yourself, even if it is so heavy that god can not lift it?
Also, yes they do. They absolutely did that with Kim Peek. People investigated him with lists of such facts at hand.
> Right off the bat, the very fact that the two things he's remembered for -calculating birth days and recalling news items-
You have no idea what you're talking about. He was known for neither of those things.