Maybe you remember this tool from when you were a kid — it's called an abacus, and it's over 2,500 years old.
The tool was invented by the Ancient Chinese as a way to conduct simple arithmetic. Though the Western world has mostly abandoned the abacus, in many Eastern countries, the ancient technique is being utilized in a modern way.
These little math geniuses are slightly more impressive than the dog who can do math, but maybe slightly less impressive than that two-year-old member of Mensa. I think when you see how quick these math whizzes can problem solve, you'll be blown away.
A program called "Mastermind Abacus" is turning small children into human computers! Dr. Toshio Hayashi, Director of Research at the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, believes that because an abacus requires mental, visual, and physical interaction (the children most move the beads up and down), it helps to "activate" young minds and spark healthy development.
“We can activate the nerve cells by providing 'stimuli' like moving fingers and talking aloud," he said. The program is said to utilize the whole brain by tapping into important functions, like visualization, concentration, photographic memory, recall, and logical reasoning.
The kids in the video can solve complicated math problems rapidly. You can see them wiggle their fingers and visualize the problem in their head. The technique is simple, but clearly it works!
SHARE if you wish you could do math this quickly!
