Do you think you have a knack for numbers? Wait a moment before you answer. There’s a little math challenge that, despite its apparent simplicity, stumps many of us. However, you don’t need to be good at math to solve it… All it takes is a little attention and a simple trick. Are you ready to test your neurons and find out why your brain sometimes plays tricks on you?
Why does this simple calculation mislead us?
1000 + 40 + 1000 + 30 + 1000 + 20 + 1000 + 10.
Most people spontaneously answer 5000. However, the correct answer is 4100. This surprising discrepancy can be explained by a phenomenon well-known to brain specialists: mental overload.
Faced with a series of numbers, our brain, which likes to work fast, takes shortcuts. It spots the “1000” and mentally stacks it up without paying much attention to the small values in between. The result: a quick but incorrect estimate… and a great demonstration of our mental limitations.
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