Rapid calculating has about as much to do with real mathematics as double-entry accounting has to the Tao, so I'm at a bit of a loss as to what this fuss is really all about.
Agree. There are some areas where numerical affinity is correlated to actual work being done, say in number theory, but I've seen professional mathematicians stumble over much lesser calculations. Without detracting from the auteur's own talents and achievements, it is of note that he teaches middle school math and is not working on actual research problems.
