Scott Flansburg
Encyclopedia
Scott Flansburg is an American mental calculator
. Dubbed "The Human Calculator" by Regis Philbin
, in 2001 he was entered into the Guiness Book of World Records for speed of mental calculation
. He is the annual host and ambassador for World Maths Day
, and is a math educator and media personality. Flansburg has appeared on shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, Larry King Live
, and Stan Lee's Superhumans
, and has published the books Math Magic and Math Magic for Your Kids.
abilities, after he was able to solve his teacher's math question without needing to write down the calculations. Afterwards he would keep a running tally of his family's groceries at the store, so his father could give the cashier an exact check before the bill had been rung up. In his youth he also began noticing that the shape and number of angles in numbers are clues to their value, and began counting from 0 to 9 on his fingers instead of 1 to 10.
after appearing on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee
.
The Guiness Book of World Records listed him as "Fastest Human Calculator" in 2001, after he broke the record for adding the same number to itself more times in 15 seconds than someone could do with a calculator. In 2002 Flansburg invented a 13 month alternative to the Gregorian calendar
that he called "The Human Calendar."
In 1998 he published the book Math Magic for Your Kids: Hundreds of Games and Exercises from the Human Calculator to Make Math Fun and Easy on Harper Paperbacks. A revised edition of his book Math Magic: How to Master Everyday Math Problems was published in 2004.
, IBM
, The Smithsonian Institute, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
, and the Mental Calculation World Cup
. The latter has described Flansburg as "more an auditory than a visual [mental] calculator."
According to Flansburg, one of his personal missions is to use education to elevate math confidence and self-esteem in adults and children, stating "Why has it become so socially acceptable to be bad at math? If you were illiterate you wouldn’t say that on TV, but you can say that you are bad at math. We have to change the attitude." He is a proponent of students becoming comfortable with calculation methods instead of relying on table memorization.
Flansburg is the annual host and ambassador for World Maths Day
. The event holds the Guiness World Record for "largest online maths competition," with over five million participants in 238 countries in 2011. The event allows students to compete with one another in real time mental arithmetic games. He is also an official promoter of the American Math Challenge, a competition for students preparing for World Math Day.
The 2012 Memoriad, also known as the Mental Calculation, Memory and Photographic Reading Olympics, has selected Flansburg to serve on their committee.
, Ellen
, ESPN
World Series of Poker Main Event, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, Dateline NBC
, Good Morning America
, Larry King Live
, The 700 Club
, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee
, Day Watch
, The Today Show
, The Howard Stern Show, Fox News, Skavlan
, and The Daily Show. He has also given radio interviews on shows such as Coast to Coast AM
and Good Morning Arizona.
On April 26, 2009, while on the Japanese primetime show Asahi's Otona no Sonata, he broke his own world record with 37 answers in 15 seconds. He was featured as The Human Calculator in the first episode of Stan Lee's Superhumans
, which aired on The History Channel
on August 5, 2010. Part of the episode analyzed his brain activity. An fMRI scan while he was doing complex calculations revealed that his brain activity in the Brodmann area 44
region of the frontal cortex was absent. Instead he showed activity somewhat above area 44 losser and closer to the motor cortex
.
. He is a celebrity staff member for Dixon Golf
, an Arizona
-based eco-friendly golf ball manufacturer. Scott is a single-digit handicap golfer, and plays the Dixon Fire ball exclusively.
Mental calculator
Mental calculators are people with a prodigious ability in some area of mental calculation, such as multiplying large numbers or factoring large numbers...
. Dubbed "The Human Calculator" by Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
, in 2001 he was entered into the Guiness Book of World Records for speed of mental calculation
Mental calculation
Mental calculation comprises arithmetical calculations using only the human brain, with no help from calculators, computers, or pen and paper. People use mental calculation when computing tools are not available, when it is faster than other means of calculation , or in a competition context...
. He is the annual host and ambassador for World Maths Day
World Maths Day
World Maths Day is an online international mathematics competition. In 2007, World Maths Day was originally held on the March 14 , and then on the 1st Wednesday in March in subsequent years...
, and is a math educator and media personality. Flansburg has appeared on shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, and Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans is a documentary television series that debuted August 5, 2010 on History. It is hosted by comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the most flexible man in the world", as he searches the globe for real-life superhumans – people...
, and has published the books Math Magic and Math Magic for Your Kids.
Early life
Scott Flansburg has stated that he was nine years old when he first discovered his mental calculatorMental calculator
Mental calculators are people with a prodigious ability in some area of mental calculation, such as multiplying large numbers or factoring large numbers...
abilities, after he was able to solve his teacher's math question without needing to write down the calculations. Afterwards he would keep a running tally of his family's groceries at the store, so his father could give the cashier an exact check before the bill had been rung up. In his youth he also began noticing that the shape and number of angles in numbers are clues to their value, and began counting from 0 to 9 on his fingers instead of 1 to 10.
Early career
Flansburg can subtract, multiply, divide, and find square and cube roots in his head almost instantly with calculator accuracy. Around 1990 he began using his ability in an entertainment and educational context. He was dubbed "The Human Calculator" by Regis PhilbinRegis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
after appearing on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
.
The Guiness Book of World Records listed him as "Fastest Human Calculator" in 2001, after he broke the record for adding the same number to itself more times in 15 seconds than someone could do with a calculator. In 2002 Flansburg invented a 13 month alternative to the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
that he called "The Human Calendar."
In 1998 he published the book Math Magic for Your Kids: Hundreds of Games and Exercises from the Human Calculator to Make Math Fun and Easy on Harper Paperbacks. A revised edition of his book Math Magic: How to Master Everyday Math Problems was published in 2004.
As an educator
Since about 1990 Flansburg has regularly given lectures and presentations at schools. He has appeared as a presenter at institutions such as NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, The Smithsonian Institute, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics was founded in 1920. It has grown to be the world's largest organization concerned with mathematics education, having close to 100,000 members across the USA and Canada, and internationally....
, and the Mental Calculation World Cup
Mental Calculation World Cup
-Mental Calculation World Cup 2004:The first Mental Calculation World Cup was held in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany on 30 October 2004. There were 17 participants from 10 countries.The World Cup involved the following contests :...
. The latter has described Flansburg as "more an auditory than a visual [mental] calculator."
According to Flansburg, one of his personal missions is to use education to elevate math confidence and self-esteem in adults and children, stating "Why has it become so socially acceptable to be bad at math? If you were illiterate you wouldn’t say that on TV, but you can say that you are bad at math. We have to change the attitude." He is a proponent of students becoming comfortable with calculation methods instead of relying on table memorization.
Flansburg is the annual host and ambassador for World Maths Day
World Maths Day
World Maths Day is an online international mathematics competition. In 2007, World Maths Day was originally held on the March 14 , and then on the 1st Wednesday in March in subsequent years...
. The event holds the Guiness World Record for "largest online maths competition," with over five million participants in 238 countries in 2011. The event allows students to compete with one another in real time mental arithmetic games. He is also an official promoter of the American Math Challenge, a competition for students preparing for World Math Day.
The 2012 Memoriad, also known as the Mental Calculation, Memory and Photographic Reading Olympics, has selected Flansburg to serve on their committee.
Media appearances
Flansburg has appeared on television shows such as OprahThe Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Ellen
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
World Series of Poker Main Event, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, Day Watch
Day Watch
Day Watch , is a 2006 Russian dark fantasy action film marketed as "the first film of the year", opened in theatres across Russia on January 1, 2006, the U.S. on June 1, 2007 and the UK on October 5, 2007. It is a sequel to the 2004 film Night Watch, featuring the same cast...
, The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
, The Howard Stern Show, Fox News, Skavlan
Skavlan
Skavlan is a Norwegian-Swedish television talk show hosted by Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan. It premiered in Sweden on Sveriges Television in January 2009, and the first guests to appear on the show were former Prime Minister of Sweden Göran Persson and his wife Anitra Steen. On 8 May 2009,...
, and The Daily Show. He has also given radio interviews on shows such as Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
and Good Morning Arizona.
On April 26, 2009, while on the Japanese primetime show Asahi's Otona no Sonata, he broke his own world record with 37 answers in 15 seconds. He was featured as The Human Calculator in the first episode of Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans is a documentary television series that debuted August 5, 2010 on History. It is hosted by comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the most flexible man in the world", as he searches the globe for real-life superhumans – people...
, which aired on The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
on August 5, 2010. Part of the episode analyzed his brain activity. An fMRI scan while he was doing complex calculations revealed that his brain activity in the Brodmann area 44
Brodmann area 44
Brodmann area 44, or BA44, is part of the frontal cortex in the human brain. Situated just anterior to premotor cortex and on the lateral surface, inferior to BA9....
region of the frontal cortex was absent. Instead he showed activity somewhat above area 44 losser and closer to the motor cortex
Motor cortex
Motor cortex is a term that describes regions of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary motor functions.-Anatomy of the motor cortex :The motor cortex can be divided into four main parts:...
.
Personal life
Flansburg resides in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. He is a celebrity staff member for Dixon Golf
Dixon Golf
Dixon Golf is an eco-friendly golf company located in Tempe, Arizona. They are the manufacturers of three different recyclable golf balls, as well as apparel made from eco-friendly or recyclable products.-Earth:...
, an Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
-based eco-friendly golf ball manufacturer. Scott is a single-digit handicap golfer, and plays the Dixon Fire ball exclusively.