The Supercalculators
Seriously...
BBC
4.1 • 885 Ratings
🗓️ 19 October 2018
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This was an impregnable fortress. The only way you get out was in a wooden box. |
| 0:05.0 | The controversial maximum security prison impossible to escape from. |
| 0:09.0 | And one of the duties of a political prisoner is the escape. |
| 0:12.0 | The IRA inmates who found a way. of a political prisoner is the escape. |
| 0:12.5 | The IRA inmates who found a way. |
| 0:14.5 | I'm Carlo Gableer and I'll be navigating a path |
| 0:19.5 | through the disturbing inside story of the biggest jailbreak in British and Irish history. |
| 0:25.0 | The narrative that they want is that this is a big achievement by them. |
| 0:28.5 | Escape from the maze, listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:35.0 | BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:39.0 | Hello, |
| 0:40.0 | Before you listen to this podcast from the BBC, |
| 0:42.0 | great choice by the way, I'm Amanda Litherland and I want to tell you about podcast radio hour. |
| 0:47.0 | Each week we recommend some of the best podcasts out there, whether they're true crime, comedy, or something completely different, and we interview |
| 0:54.6 | podcast creators about the inspirations behind their episodes. Find your next favorite with |
| 0:59.6 | Podcast Radio Hour, but first enjoy this. |
| 1:04.0 | Hi, I'm Riana Dylan, and this is seriously. |
| 1:10.0 | Neurons, on the ready, go. |
| 1:14.5 | I'm Robert Fountain. |
| 1:15.7 | I'm a two-time winner of the Medal Calculation World Cup |
| 1:19.2 | and the first Grand Master of Medal calculation. |
| 1:21.6 | And... one master of mental calculation. And I'm Alex Bellos. |
... |
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