I’ve known Dave for about 18 years now. We both cut our teeth on the local BBS scene in the mid 80s and have been good friends ever since. Having done more colorful things with his life until the present, Dave is just now getting around to attending college at LSU. It’s local and cheap and the community around Baton Rouge holds degrees from LSU in high regard. I can’t complain, that’s where I earned my master’s degree.
I got a call from Dave asking for help with Math 1021, the first college algebra. No problem. I had plenty of higher math in my undergrad curriculum. We sat down and began working through problems and it became evident that he was struggling with the material. I slowed down and he caught on quickly.
Then, he really freaked me out. I was going back to check the answer I had just gotten from solving a problem.
I plug the number 7.4 into the equation and reached for the calculator to get the answer. Without missing a beat, Dave said, “7.4 times 18 is 133.2, and 7.4 times 5 is 37.” He figured out the math mentally before I could grab the calculator and turn it on.
I was amazed. Is everyone on the planet except for me is gifted with the ability to solve multiplication so quickly? I don’t know, but Dave certainly is.
He went on to demonstrate multiplying random three digit numbers by two digit numbers without missing a beat. Decimals were no problems. “28 x 4.2 is 117.6. 117.6 x 4.2 is 493.92. 493.92 x 4.2 is 2074.464.”
I suggested he quit school and take up blackjack.