‘The Human Calculator’ is fixed on helping young people love math

By Chris Kudialis

Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 | 2 a.m.

For math genius Scott Flansburg, the world just makes too much sense.

A math teacher for the past 28 years, Flansburg solves equations at superhuman speed. The 53-year-old owns the mark recognized by Guinness World Records for “Fastest Human Calculator” after correctly adding a randomly selected two-digit number — 38 — to itself 36 times in 15 seconds.

He said he benefits from an oversize Brodmann area 44, a portion of the brain located next to the left temple that doctors believe is associated with ability to understand and use numbers. Flansburg’s is nearly five times larger than that of the average person.

“Cube roots are easy,” he said when asked about his mental capacity. “But I focus on the mental math that most people should be able to do in everyday life.”

Flansburg discovered his talent, which scientists estimate belongs to less than a dozen people worldwide, in fourth grade, when he outperformed his algebra teacher. But unlike most geniuses of his caliber, Flansburg doesn’t boast an Ivy League Ph.D. He dropped out of high school at age 18 to join the Air Force, after which he got into his lifelong passion: teaching kids to love math.

Almost three decades later, the man known as “The Human Calculator” has been teaching children the joy and simplicity of math with his own, more streamlined methods. Flansburg shares those methods regularly during speeches at elementary schools in Clark County and around the world. He recently spoke with The Sunday and explained why he believes the numbers 9 and zero hold the answers to life’s mathematical and more practical questions.

DO THE MATH: USE 9

All factors of 9 added together equal 9. Any addition equation can be checked for correctness using the number, using the following three-step process.

Flansburg’s formula, unsurprisingly, targets 9-year-olds. He believes all young students should be able to handle these types of problems by second or third grade.

“If you just remember that everything goes back to 9, you’ll have no problem,” Flansburg said. “It’s straightforward, and it’s fun.”

If the answers don’t add up, Flansburg said the three-step formula is unique because it allows parents and teachers to check where their young students are making an error, and help fix it. “Not only will you know that something’s wrong, but because of that simple process, you’ll be able to see where your kid is getting stuck,” he explained. “It’s a simple exercise to train your brain for basic math skills.”

For example, a child sees a speed limit sign of 65 while sitting in the back seat. What does 6 plus 5 equal?

Step 1: Add the two numbers: 6 + 5 = 11

Step 2: Subtract the sum from the original number: 65 – 11 = 54

Step 3: See if those two digits add to 9. If they do, then the original addition was correct: 5 + 4 = 9

Another example, using a 25-year-old person’s age:

Step 1: 2 + 5 = 7

Step 2: 25 – 7 = 18

Step 3: 1 + 8 = 9

The same goes for three-digit numbers, four-digit numbers and beyond.

With 100, the most basic three-digit number:

Step 1: 1 + 0 + 0 = 1

Step 2: 100 – 1 = 99

Step 3: 9 + 9 = 18; 1 + 8 = 9

And 2016?

Step 1: 2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 9

Step 2: 2016 – 9 = 2007

Step 3: 2 + 0 + 0 + 7 = 9

PUTTING ZERO BACK WHERE IT BELONGS

Flansburg argues that the first 10 numbers of our numeric system are not 1 through 10, but zero through 9. He counts on his hand, starting with zero as he lifts his left index finger and ending with 9 as all digits on both hands are raised.

“Chapter zero is the missing chapter in math,” Flansburg said. “If we would all teach young students about zero, it would give everyone on the planet a chance to really understand math.”

Flansburg displays a homemade matrix of numbers zero to 99, with perfect color coordination and patterns for addition, multiplication, subtraction and division sequences. Acknowledging zero as the first number is “crucial” for understanding math, he said, such that placing it at the end of keyboards, calculators and dial pads ingrains the wrong message in the heads of young math learners.

Flansburg blames old-style rotary phones for the confusion, where users would rotate the dial all the way around, generating 10 sparks, for the number zero. “There’s no such thing as a zero spark. So they had 10 sparks for zero,” Flansburg said. “But that idea of putting zero at the end has perpetuated everywhere.”

Flansburg also designed a streamlined, 13-month calendar of 28 days each for a total of 364 days. He uses zero as the first day of each year to prevent leap years and the imbalances seen with the current Gregorian-style calendar.

With each month starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday, everything from lunar to pregnancy cycles would be easier to track and predict, Flansburg said. Businesses also would benefit from consistent 13-week quarters of 91 days each, instead of the model that features three more days in the second half of the calendar year.

“Our Gregorian calendar is outdated, it’s ancient and it’s a scam,” Flansburg said. “It has disabled our brain to think about time as it really is. It’s like putting Windows on a Mac; it doesn’t work.

“Why don’t we use a calendar that makes sense to everybody? The impact it’d have on logistics would be incredible.”

Flansburg insists his myriad mathematical tricks and inventions aren’t designed to discredit the way children are taught. Rather, he said he wanted to “add another chapter” to enhance learning and “make sure they’re on the right track.”

“I’ve spoken to over 2 million kids,” Flansburg said, “And I want to use my gifts for good.”