Human Brain vs. Calculator

                       The human brain, beating the calculator: Would you like to challenge? Or would you just dare try to challenge? If you think you can beat the calculator, actually you can! You may not believe me, unless if you are Alexis Lemaire (on the photo below), or the famous Scott Flansburg, an American who really held the title "The Human Calculator", receiving Guiness World Record Awards. Well, see for yourself, but let me ask you this: Which is more intelligent? The calculator? or us? How did you view yourself when it comes to computation? In everyday's, numbers are not an exception (although it creates fear in us). We compute, to come up with accuracy, leading to satisfaction. Numbers actually shaped the world. The first known tool used to aid arithmetic calculations was the Abacus, devised by the Sumerians and Egyptians on 2000 BCE. Computers (I mean like those PC's) actually had "calculator" as its former name.  Calculators are just like a camera for a photographer. All aspects of business transactions, liquidations, and most commonly in the fields of engineering and accountancy made calculators a tool in every work they do. It's because calculators are still the world's fastest tool used to perform both basic and complex operations of arithmetic. Now, as we breathe for a moment, can you beat now the calculator?

Bridging the Gap

           
                      Human is more intelligent than calculator: Would agree the statement? If yes, then I think your justification might be something related to symbiosis, in which calculators cannot function without the peopleware. Indeed true that we're the once who invent the calculator and the once who made it perform. But in terms of capacity and performance, I think calculators are more intelligent than humans in terms of computations.. Why? Try to disregard the symbiotic mutualism between the calculators and us, and look over to how calculators perform. It's clear that calculators are far more faster, right? Nevertheless, the answer is still in favor to the human brain. I believe we're as fast (or faster) as the calculator, because of our sole nature of obtaining and learning new things, ways, and even the power to analyze situations; things which calculators do not have (or will never have). But that doesn't mean of retaining our brain's ability. Why not try to perform like a calculator for somehow? Say that's impossible? Well, let me share you what I have learned during my MTAP (Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines) Classes:

Calculate the following for 5 (or even 1) seconds

Tip #1- 15 x 14
     => Multiply the numbers at the left, then plus the numbers itself. (only applicable for numbers 11-19)


Tip #2- 55 x 55
     => Multiply the numbers at the right; multiply the numbers at the left then plus the number itself.


Tip #3- 54 x 54
      => Multiply the numbers at the right column; multiply the numbers at the left column then add the number from the right.


Tip#4- 12345312312241872 x 11
         => Look over the multiplicand; copy the first number and add it to the number next to it; same with the next number to the number next to it and so on; then copy the last number. (just comment if you're a little confuse. Heheheh!)


                 I'm not so sure with this but I was just surprise when I made it without the aid of calculators. Thanks to Ma'am Alontaga, my Trigonometry teacher, for teaching these techniques.
If you are interested to learn many computation techniques just comment me here. We may not beat the capabilities of a calculator, but the determination is still in our hands. If you view numbers as phobic things, then life is also full of fear. That's because Mathematics is the language of nature. Well for me, although i'm not so inclined in math stuffs, there's nothing to be afraid of numbers. IN deed, we are not just computing, but we also exercise our mental capacities to make the right decisions and settle down life problems through analyzing, and numbers taught us how to. How about you? Can you now beat the calculator? Don't worry, no rushing. (chuckling here).
   
(above photo sorce: globe-changemaker.net?)