Published 18:52 IST, August 25th 2020
World's Fastest Human Calculator: Know 20-yr-old boy who smashed Shakuntala Devi's record
From enrolling himself Abacus program at the 5 to acquiring the title that was once accorded to Shakuntala Devi at the age of 20, meet Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash
From enrolling himself Abacus program at the five of five to acquiring the title that was once accorded to mathematical genius Shakuntala Devi at the age of 20, Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash is being hailed across the globe for being faster than the calculator. Hailing from Telangana, Hyderabad recently won India’s first-ever gold medal in the mental calculation world championships.
Bhanu, who keenly observes maths as a form of art has also credited the subject for being a ‘big mental sport’. In a recent radio interview with BBC, he has even explained his aim of eradicating ‘maths phobia’ A student of Mathematics (Hons.) at Delhi University’s St Stephen College has already acquired 50 Limca records for being the fastest human calculator in the world and four other world records.
Despite the glorious present that has filled the entire nation with pride, Bhanu does not reportedly think of himself as a maths genius. He had suffered from an accident when he was just a five-year-old and was bedridden due to head injury for almost an entire year. It was during this time, that Bhanu’s never-ending journey with the subject took a kickstart. In the same interview, Bhanu had elaborated that his parents were told their child might be cognitively impaired.
Therefore, Bhanu picked up mental maths calculations for what he calls ‘survival’ and keeping his brain ‘engaged’. Having a simple goal of settling with a good job and opening a business, Bhanu ended up surpassing Math maestros such as Scott Flansburg and Shakuntala Devi. He then participated in Mental Calculation World Championship at Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) that was held in London on Independence Day this year and bagged India’s first gold.
Netizens applaud Bhanu Prakash
Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash’s story of inspiration and love for maths has left thousands of internet users awestruck. Many even wished that they get a ‘piece’ of his ‘magical’ brain and wanted to be like him. Quoting their own struggles with the complex subject such as Maths, Bhanu can be seen instilling a love for the subject among many teenagers.
Updated 18:52 IST, August 25th 2020