A Head for Figures

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Abstract
It has long been debated whether the ability to solve mathematical problems depends on language. In this issue, [ Dehaene et al .][1] show that exact calculations involve linguistic representations of numbers and are controlled by the speech-related areas of the left frontal lobe in the brain. In contrast, approximate calculations are language-independent, relying on visuo-spatial representations of numbers controlled by the left and right parietal lobes. In an accompanying Perspective, [Brian Butterworth][2] discusses these findings and postulates that the parietal lobes may also be involved in finger counting, an almost universal stage in the learning of exact arithmetic. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/284/5416/970 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/284/5416/928