Shakuntala Devi | |
|---|---|
 Devi in 1968 | |
| Born | 4 November 1929 |
| Died | 21 April 2013 (aged 83) |
| Other names | Human Computer |
| Occupations | |
| Spouse |
Paritosh Banerji
(m. 1964; div. 1979) |
| Children | 1 |
Shakuntala Devi (4 November 1929 – 21 April 2013) was an Indian mental calculator, astrologer, and writer, popularly known as the "Human Computer". Her talent earned her a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. However, the certificate for the record was given posthumously on 30 July 2020, despite Devi achieving her world record on 18 June 1980 at Imperial College, London. Devi was a precocious child, and she demonstrated her arithmetic abilities at the University of Mysore without any formal education.
Devi strove to simplify numerical calculations for students.[1] She wrote several books in her later years, including novels as well as texts about mathematics, puzzles, and astrology. She wrote the book The World of Homosexuals, which is considered the first study of homosexuality in India.[2][3] She saw homosexuality in a positive light and is considered a pioneer in the field.[2]
- ^ "Shakuntala Devi strove to simplify maths for students". The Hindu. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
- ^ a b Subir K Kole (11 July 2007). "Globalizing queer? AIDS, homophobia and the politics of sexual identity in India". Globalization and Health. 3: 8. doi:10.1186/1744-8603-3-8. PMC 2018684. PMID 17623106.: "The first academic book on Indian homosexuals appeared in 1977 (The World of Homosexuals) written by Shakuntala Devi, the mathematics wiz kid who was internationally known as the human computer. This book saw homosexuality in a positive light and reviewed the socio-cultural and legal situation of homosexuality in India and contrasted that with the gay liberation movement then taking place in the USA."
- ^ Mubarak, Salva (13 May 2019). "Get to know Shakuntala Devi, the woman known as the 'human computer'". Vogue India. Mumbai, India: Dilshad Arora. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
In 1970s, she wrote The World of Homosexuals, a book that went disappointingly unnoticed at that time, but gained popularity over the years for being one of the earliest studies of our society's understanding of homosexuality.