Human computer sums up rare talent

SHAKUNTALA DEVI, a mathematical genius dubbed the 'Human Computer' in The Guinness Book of Records, is not offended when asked if she feels like a freak.

This remarkable woman appears in the book for calculating the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in 50 seconds and for multiplying two numbers randomly generated by a computer - 7,686,369,774,870 by 2,465,099,745,779 - correctly in her head in 28 seconds.

The answer, of course, is 18,947,668,177,995,426, 462,773,730 - which a computer took several seconds longer to produce.

Ms Devi is less precise about her age, which she describes as '50-something'.

After 'mental preparation', she plans to set another record for multiplying three lengthy numbers faster than a computer.

'It's called freakish because it's something other people don't do, but as a human being I lead a very normal life,' she said.