# Do this math problem in your head. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 28, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932 "2008-10-28T14:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/101 "2008-10-28T21:13:31Z")
4100… but I see what’s it’s trying to trick me into saying. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/102 "2008-10-28T21:15:08Z")
I just realized something. When you put the mouse over the topic, you get a preview and the spoilers tags don’t show. In my opinion, this makes it much easier to get the right answer…because (like I said before) people see ALL of the numbers in one place, so they’re apt to just add together all of the 1000s first (getting 4000) and then add the 10, 20, 30, 40 together (getting 100) and then just add 4000 and 100. Go on, admit it if you did that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/103 "2008-10-28T21:16:37Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/104 "2008-10-28T21:17:06Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![criminey.jicket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@criminey.jicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminey.jicket)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/105 "2008-10-28T21:57:22Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/106 "2008-10-28T22:09:25Z")
I got 4,100 but I was being extra careful because I knew it had to be some osrt of mind trick. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/107 "2008-10-28T22:34:23Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/108 "2008-10-28T22:36:22Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/109 "2008-10-28T22:54:44Z")
5000 ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/110 "2008-10-28T22:56:46Z")
I get 4,100. Why did you ask us this question? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/111 "2008-10-28T23:05:50Z")
4,100 ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/112 "2008-10-28T23:07:06Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > I get 4,100. > > Why did you ask us this question? Well, because so far about 11 or 12 people got different answers. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/113 "2008-10-28T23:20:55Z")
4,100 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/114 "2008-10-29T00:05:55Z")
5000 ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/115 "2008-10-29T00:50:25Z")
OK, I got 5000, and I’ve always considered myself pretty good at mathematics. But one could argue that real mathematicians don’t actually need to do this kind of routine summation any more often than anyone else. Their minds are usually on higher things. > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > And since it’s possible to highlight all the spoiler boxes at once it makes it easier not to make that mistake. I reckon that might it. I came up with my figure by highlighting a single spoiler box at a time and adding it to the running total in my head. If I highlighted (highlit?) all the spoiler boxes at once, I reckon I would’ve done better. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/116 "2008-10-29T00:54:54Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/117 "2008-10-29T01:00:05Z")
5000 Edit: Damnit. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/118 "2008-10-29T01:10:31Z")
Without reading others 4,100. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/119 "2008-10-29T01:59:39Z")
4100 ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932/120 "2008-10-29T02:12:12Z")
4100 Edit: Yes, I saw what you were up to, and I notice that the responders did pretty well with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-this-math-problem-in-your-head/469932.md?page=7)