The Supercalculators

Alex Bellos is brilliant at all things mathematical, but even he
can't hold a candle to the amazing mathematical feats of the
supercalculators. Alex heads to Wolfsburg in Germany to meet the
contestants at this year's Mental Calculation World Cup. These
men and women are the fastest human number crunchers on the
planet, able to multiply and divide large numbers with no need to
reach for a smart phone, computer or calculator. So how do they
do it, and is it a skill that any of us can learn? Alex talks to
Robert Fountain, the UK's two-time winner of this prestigious
prize, about his hopes for this year's competition and the
mathematical magicians of the past who have inspired him. He also
meets Rachel Riley, Countdown's number queen, to find out what it
takes to beat the countdown clock.


Produced by Alexandra Feachem.


First broadcast on Tuesday 16 October, 2018.