We live in an age of speed - fast foods, fast computers, fast cars, fast professors.
Fast professors???
Yes, indeed!
You want to see real speed? Want to see a professor out-calculate calculators?
Right now - before you read another word - go to YouTube, search for Arthur Benjamin, and watch his 15-minute performance. Or go to this blog for January 22, 2008 - Message #294.
Prepare to be astounded! You’ll see that Dr. Benjamin, a professor of mathematics at
I watched Dr. Benjamin’s amazing video over and over again, and got to see him in person when he gave a keynote address for the Mathematical Association of America at
Montclarion: Do you believe that anyone can do the mental calculations that you do?
Dr. Benjamin: I’m a firm believer that almost any skill or talent is largely a function of practice and time invested. There was a really good book that came out a few years ago called “Count Down.” One point this book made was that there isn’t a musician in any major professional orchestra in the world who has practiced less than 10,000 hours. I really think that just about any skill acquisition, whether it be mathematical or musical or athletic or magic, is largely a function of practice. Now, you’re more willing to put in that kind of practice if you really enjoy it! I probably spent thousands of hours as a kid and teenager playing with numbers.
Montclarion: How would you define “success”?
Dr. Benjamin: I would define success as what fraction of your time you are doing things that you enjoy. When people ask me, “How do you like being a college professor?” I say, “It beats working!” Now what does that mean? Am I working my tail off? Yes! I put a lot of hours into my job, but most of them are enjoyable hours.
Montclarion: Besides mathematics, do you have any other passions?
Dr. Benjamin: I love the game of backgammon. I still am a highly-ranked tournament player. I get a lot of pleasure playing tournaments and being somewhat of an expert at the game.
Montclarion: Who are your heroes?
Dr. Benjamin: Harry Lorayne -- I read his books on memory and magic when I was in high school. And Persi Diaconis -- he’s somebody who is at the top of his game both as a mathematician and as a magician. He was one of the first winners of the MacArthur Fellowship -- the genius award. And he’s been the editor of leading statistics journals, has written hundreds of mathematics papers and has made fundamental contributions to magic.
Montclarion: Tell me about a book that inspires you.
Dr. Benjamin: I once read a book that gave a lot of very good simple advice. It’s “If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going, You’ll Probably End Up Somewhere Else” by Dr. David Campbell. It’s a very quick read. I’ve loaned it out to dozens of students. The message of this book is: Don’t let life just happen to you -- make a plan. Go for your goals. Decide what’s important.
Montclarion: Do you end your stage show with a signature piece?
Dr. Benjamin: Yes! I square a five-digit number while I’m thinking out loud.
Montclarion: Do you ever get it wrong?
Dr. Benjamin: Yes.
Montclarion: Do you worry about getting it wrong?
Dr. Benjamin: A little bit, but if I make only one mistake, I get a better reaction than if I do it right the first time. It’s like the juggler who drops the ball before getting it. It builds tension and the audience is rooting for you.
Montclarion: What advice do you have for students?
Dr. Benjamin: Find your passion. There are a few things out there that are just going to excite the hell out of you and I don’t mean drugs and such. Study something that you love -- something that you’re passionate about. If you do this you’re generally going to do well at it. For example, if you have a passion for art history -- dive into it!
Montclarion: What advice do you have for teachers?
Dr. Benjamin: Consider taking a course in improvisational theater.
After being totally inspired by watching, meeting, and interviewing Dr. Benjamin, I wondered if I could do any “mathemagic.” So I purchased his book, “Secrets of Mental Math,” turned to page 214, and went to work.
Can I perform the “human calendar” trick I learned? Test me! When you see me, tell me when your birthday is and see if I can tell you the correct day of the week that it falls on this year.
If I’m wrong, I’ll give you a copy of Dr. Benjamin’s book!
