Puzzler

Are You Up To The Challenge?

Add together the following numbers. Do not use paper, pencil or a calculator.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it.
Now, add another 1000.
Now add 30.
Add another 1000.
Now add 20.
Now add another 1000.
Now add 10.

What is the total?

If you came up with 5,000, you are not alone. You're also not correct.

The right answer is 4,100.

It is remarkably straightforward to add up the first bunch of numbers in your head.
1,000 plus 40 is 1,040,
plus 1,000 is 2,040,
plus 30 is 3,070,
plus 1,000 is 3,070,
plus 20 is 3,090,
plus 1,000 is 4,090.

Here is where it gets tricky. Most people, when adding 10 to that figure, come up with 5,000. But that's your brain skipping ahead (and overlooking a zero).

The correct sum is actually, of course, 4,100.