How to Add a Consecutive Series of Numbers in One's Head

The ability to quickly add a long string of numbers off the top of your head will not only impress your fellow mortals, but will also flex your mental muscles. Here's how to add a consecutive series of numbers in one's head.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Make the abstract numbers concrete in your mind by objectifying them. For example, if you want to add up numbers from 1 to 100, visualize in your mind's eye a single playing card lying flat in front of you on a desk.

2. Visualize two cards next to the first one, one on top of the other. Next to that card visualize three cards similarly stacked on top of each other. Keep doing this until you have a stack of 100 cards stacked up.

3. Picture your self taking the very first card from the first pile and adding it to the final pile, making a pile of one-hundred-and-one cards.

4. Imagine yourself taking the two cards from the second stack and placing them on to the second to last stack, which now has ninety-nine cards. Now you've pictured another pile of one-hundred-and-one cards.

5. Repeat this routine in your mind until you end up with fifty piles of one-hundred-and-one cards each.

6. Multiply the number of piles by the number of cards they contain. In this case, you will multiply fifty by a hundred, giving you 5000.

7. Add the left over number ones that you excluded. These total 50, giving the answer as 5050.

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