On Jelly Beans and Pumpkin Seeds

According to neuroscientist Allan Snyder, and as reported in Discover Magazine, 'jelly-bean counting' skills in normal people can be significantly improved with transcrainial magnetic stimulation - powerful magnetic pulses to the brain.

For an hour after the treatment, 83.3% of test subjects were "twice as accurate" in estimating the number of dots flashed on a computer screen.

I once won a 92-pound pumpkin by accurately guessing its weight. (I guessed 93.) I could have used some transcrainial magnetic stimulation to help me guess how many pumpkin seeds it contained!