Three-year-old Thomas names countries on a world map.
By Charles Creasey for Caters News
A proud parent claims her toddler could be the next Stephen Hawking or Einstein after he taught himself to read, learned the periodic table and can name any country on a map - despite being aged just 3.
Cat Lewis revealed footage of her "boy genius" tot Thomas naming every country in the world on a map with near 100 per cent accuracy last week.
The mum-of-two was compelled to film Thomas' amazing ability after watching 5-year-old Nate Seltzer on the Ellen Degeneres Show, who could name all the American states and world flags.
Not content to let a boy two years older than her son get the crown, she shared the footage of her very own "wonderkid" naming every country in the world.
Thomas Lewis reciting all 50 American States. Photo / Caters News Agency
Neighbours have told Cat that her son could be the next Stephen Hawking after he learned the periodic table by heart, can name all 50 American states, and bewildered his parents when they discovered he had learned to read all by himself when he turned 3.
Cat, from Woking, Surrey, said: "My neighbour calls him the next Stephen Hawking. He's very bright - even his head teacher said he's very exceptional. I keep on telling Thomas that eventually he'll have nothing left to learn.
"He can recite the periodic table, he knows the names of 50 American states."
The most shocking moment for mum Cat was when she discovered her little Thomas reading all by himself - even though nobody had taught him to read.
Confused Cat said: "I think at the time I probably said to him 'what are you doing? Did you just read that? He just said 'yes I like reading sometimes'.
"He's always reciting the alphabet and just after his birthday last year, he was just sat in bed reading - and we didn't even know that he could read.
Mum Cat with her son Thomas. Photo / Caters News Agency
"We just couldn't explain why, and neither could he. He said 'I just know the words, and I can read'.
"I know sometimes it's just three-letter words but you don't really expect a 3-year-old kid to be able to read, do you?
"He had some books from his 3rd birthday and he could just read them himself, even though we hadn't read them to him.
"The books were for children of the age group of about 4 or 5 and he could just read them after he'd turned 3.
"If I ask him 'how do you know this?' he just says 'Because I know'. It's just how he is - I suppose you don't need to know anything else.
"Everyone just looked at him when he was young and said 'how is he doing this? They just saw that he was clever - and that's all there is to it."
Even though proud mum Cat insists he's just like any other 3-year-old and doesn't need to be medically tested, she admitted that Thomas' abilities might be down to an extraordinary capacity for information retention.
Thomas Lewis can point out any country on a map. Photo / Caters News Agency
Cat said: "All he does it watch videos on YouTube and he remembers it all. He gets an hour a day on his iPad but he doesn't play games - he just watches educational videos - by choice.
"I first noticed he was different around 18 months. He had an obsession with numbers and letters and he knew the alphabet. He could just recite numbers and letters.
"We noticed he wasn't a 'normal kid' when our friends used to see him pointing at letters and saying what they were.
"He can do other things too. For example, he can see numbers that are really small - numbers that even I can't see. We could be going past a lamp post and he can just tell us what number it is before we even get to it."
"It's just how he is. People like different things don't they?"
Cat is looking forward to watching her son start school this year - and seems perfectly happy with you Thomas' career ambitions.
Mum Cat claims her toddler could be the next Stephen Hawking or Einstein. Photo / Caters News Agency
Cat said: "He's due to start school in September. We told the teachers he's clever and that I'm not just one of 'those mums' that says her son is very clever - he actually is.
"When he's talking to the adults he's got his adult hat on, but when he's talking to other kids he's just a regular 3-year-old.
"In the future I picture him as some kind of scientist, or that kind of a brainy job. But right now he says he wants to be an ice cream man.
"I suppose if he really wants he can be an ice cream man full time and be brainy on the side."
