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Everything is predictable : how Bayesian statistics explain our world / Tom Chivers.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : One Signal Publishers/Atria, 2024Copyright date: ©2024Edition: First One Signal Publishers/Atria Books hardcover editionDescription: 371 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781668052600
  • 1668052601
Subject(s):
Contents:
Introduction: a theory of not quite everything -- From The Book of Common Prayer to the full Monte Carlo -- Bayes in science -- Bayesian decision theory -- Bayes in the world -- The Bayesian brain -- Bayesian life -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Index.
Summary: "At its simplest, Bayes's theorem describes the probability of an event, based on prior knowledge of conditions that might be related to the event. But Tom Chivers lays out how it affects every aspect of our lives. He explains why highly accurate screening tests can lead to false positives and how a failure to account for it in court has put innocent people in jail. But its influence goes far beyond practical applications. A cornerstone in rational thought, Bayesian principles are used in modeling and forecasting....And many argue that Bayes' theorem is not just a useful tool, but a description of almost anything -- that it is the underlying architecture of rationality...Fusing biography, razor-sharp science writing, and intellectual history, Everything is Predictable is an entertaining tour of Bayes' theorem and its impact on modern life, showing how a single compelling idea can have far-reaching consequences" -- Book jacket.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Shelving location Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction New 519.542 C543 Checked out 07/17/2024 33111011361033
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"Bayes's moment has clearly arrived." -- The Wall Street Journal

A captivating and user-friendly tour of Bayes's theorem and its global impact on modern life from the acclaimed science writer and author of The Rationalist's Guide to the Galaxy .

At its simplest, Bayes's theorem describes the probability of an event, based on prior knowledge of conditions that might be related to the event. But in Everything Is Predictable, Tom Chivers lays out how it affects every aspect of our lives. He explains why highly accurate screening tests can lead to false positives and how a failure to account for it in court has put innocent people in jail. A cornerstone of rational thought, many argue that Bayes's theorem is a description of almost everything.

But who was the man who lent his name to this theorem? How did an 18th-century Presbyterian minister and amateur mathematician uncover a theorem that would affect fields as diverse as medicine, law, and artificial intelligence?

Fusing biography, razor-sharp science writing, and intellectual history, Everything Is Predictable is an entertaining tour of Bayes's theorem and its impact on modern life, showing how a single compelling idea can have far reaching consequences.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"At its simplest, Bayes's theorem describes the probability of an event, based on prior knowledge of conditions that might be related to the event. But Tom Chivers lays out how it affects every aspect of our lives. He explains why highly accurate screening tests can lead to false positives and how a failure to account for it in court has put innocent people in jail. But its influence goes far beyond practical applications. A cornerstone in rational thought, Bayesian principles are used in modeling and forecasting....And many argue that Bayes' theorem is not just a useful tool, but a description of almost anything -- that it is the underlying architecture of rationality...Fusing biography, razor-sharp science writing, and intellectual history, Everything is Predictable is an entertaining tour of Bayes' theorem and its impact on modern life, showing how a single compelling idea can have far-reaching consequences" -- Book jacket.

Introduction: a theory of not quite everything -- From The Book of Common Prayer to the full Monte Carlo -- Bayes in science -- Bayesian decision theory -- Bayes in the world -- The Bayesian brain -- Bayesian life -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Index.

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