Do you use a calculator?
I usually try doing it in my head first. I use paper if it is available. I use a calculator when I don’t have time, or fail at the first two steps.
I noticed my number skills were deteriorating without proper use, and I found that alarming. I’m still weaker than I used to be, but not as bad as I was.
It’s just important to think for ones self when one can. The brain is a muscle that atrophies without use.
Maybe you number skills are fading because you waste your time and energy on pointless computations. Maybe they just fade with time…
Your brain is weirdly unhappy with the concept of other brains doing math. Nice!
The brainpower involved in mental math is just real-time factorization and otherwise general application of the rules of arithmatic. It’s no waste, it’s just a well practiced set of pathways that take annoying math and make it friendly. It takes at most 2 seconds to know if it’s time to use a calculator.
My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Slide rule
Typhoonigator@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Abacus
My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Beans in a clay pot
isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Fingers and toes