Quote Originally Posted by mklotz View Post
For long sequences of 9's, with a bit of math you don't need to pull the handle at all, you can do the problem in your head, e.g...

999 * 999 = (1000 - 1) * (1000 - 1) = 1000² - 2*1000 +1 = 1,000,000 - 2000 +1 = 998,000 + 1 = 998,001
Maybe normal people can, but I can’t. I am absolutely unable to do even that simple bit of arithmetic in my head. I can’t estimate any quantity, make sense of a spreadsheet (this part causes my boss no end of consternation), or follow instructions that skip operations. As you’d expect this held me back in school and even now limits career opportunities. On the other hand I can build or rebuild anything that doesn’t require higher maths.

Neil