Shakuntala Devi, who passed away in April of 2013, was not only known for her "human calculator" skill, but was also a master in many different fields of which included astrology and literature. Shakuntala Devi's father noticed her skill at the ripe age of three, which is remarkable not only considering she was so young, but also because such a skill of calculating large numbers in your head would be difficult for someone with a PhD! Devi holds a record in the 1982 Guinness Book of World Records, along with numerous other achievements.
It is interesting to think about how one is able to compute difficult equations such as "7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779" and not only come up with the correct answer, but also do it in 28 seconds. How is she able to keep track of all the digits in her head and not get mixed up by the slightest mistake? It is truly remarkable.
Some other famous human calculators include Scott Falnsburg, Alexis Lemaire, Willem Klein, Mike Byster, and Devi's fellow Indian, and probably the other most famous, Srinivasa Ramanujan. Some of these human calculators spent their entire lives training to become this skilled, and others, such as Devi, were born with this remarkable feat.
Below, I have attached a link to a video of Shakuntala Devi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0fXPzcbmPk
Sources:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/1104/Shakuntala-Devi-and-other-human-calculators
http://www.indiatimes.com/technology/internet/google-doodles-the-human-calculator-shakuntala-devi-110118.html
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