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How Mental Math Makes You Smarter

  In an age where most of our numeric calculations are performed for us by an abundance of available technologies, it is hard to imagine how our brains handle arithmetic. To most of us, school math was simply a set of symbolic rules; we would look at a number on the page, perform a certain algorithm in our head that converted that number into another, and write down the result. Someone who has seen an abacus-trained child perform calculations of a six-digit number in their head may have an entirely different view of our current approach to arithmetic. This is not some sort of extraordinary talent or indication of higher intelligence; in fact, anyone can develop similar skills by engaging both sides of their brain in calculations. In the following essay, I will explore the ways in which mental calculation can be used to stimulate both brain hemispheres, and the resulting benefits of such an endeavor. The Nature of Your Everyday Calculation In most cases, math as we know it is a prod...