From the author of Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?, a fascinating look at how an equation that foretells the future is transforming everything we know about life, business, and the universe. In the 18th century, the British minister and mathematician Thomas Bayes devised a theorem that allowed him to assign probabilities to events that had never happened before. It languished in obscurity for centuries until computers came along and made it easy to crunch the numbers. Now, as the foundation of big data, Bayes' formula has become a linchpin of the digital economy. But here's where things get really interesting: Bayes' theorem can also be used to lay odds on the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence; on whether we live in a Matrix-like counterfeit of reality; on the "many worlds" interpretation of quantum theory being correct; and on the biggest question of all: how long will humanity survive? The Doomsday Calculation tells how Silicon Valley's profitable formula became a controversial pivot of contemporary thought. Drawing on interviews with thought leaders around the globe, it's the story of a group of intellectual mavericks who are challenging what we thought we knew about our place in the universe. The Doomsday Calculation is compelling reading for anyone interested in our culture and its future.
The lead dog puts up his hand to Andrea, looks at Jeremy. “You know Mitchell Stevenson?” Jeremy feels immediately defensive. He's being sucked into a rhetorical trap, being asked to answer questions he doesn't know the answer to,
Matson, John (2012). “The Not So Hot Hand. ... “Can Benford's Law Be Used in Forensic Accounting?” Balance Sheet, Jun. 1993, 7–8. ______(1996). “A Taxpayer Compliance Application of Benford's Law.” Journal of the American Taxation ...
The book covers the importance of creative thinking, ways to get a leg up on the competition, what your Facebook page says about you, and much more.
With brief detours into archaeology, philology, and overdue library books, William Poundstone explains how we can use it to predict pretty much anything. What is the chance that there are multiple universes? How long will Hamilton run?
A comprehensive history of ISIS based on insider accounts and secret communications few outsiders have seen
This sharply intelligent, consistently provocative book takes the reader on an astonishing, thought-provoking voyage into the realm of delightful uncertainty--a world of paradox in which logical argument leads to contradiction and common ...
The ISBN of The Physics of Rugby ? has the first 12 digits 9781904761174. To calculate the check digit at the end , do a weighted sum . Multiply the digits alternately by 1 and 3. The weighted sum for the ISBN is ( 9 + 8 + 9 + 4 + 6 + 1 ) ...
In this series, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan has presented the fundamental teachings of Islam in a simple way. This booklet can be effectively used as a dawah tool.
Shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist for The California Book Award in Nonfiction The San Francisco Chronicle's Best of the Year List Foreign Affairs Best Books of the Year In These Times “Best ...
The future for the Western group of societies. Within this will seek to identify the main changes in the natures of work, leisure, family organisation, education and life styles. 3.