Please note: In order to keep Hive up to date and provide users with the best features, we are no longer able to fully support Internet Explorer. The site is still available to you, however some sections of the site may appear broken. We would encourage you to move to a more modern browser like Firefox, Edge or Chrome in order to experience the site fully.

Supporting your high street Find out how »
Everything is Predictable : How Bayes' Remarkable Theorem Explains the World, Hardback Book

Everything is Predictable : How Bayes' Remarkable Theorem Explains the World Hardback

Hardback

In Stock - usually despatched within 24 hours

Description

Thomas Bayes was an eighteenth-century Presbyterian minister and amateur mathematician whose obscure life belied the profound impact of his work.

Like most research into probability at the time, his theorem was mainly seen as relevant to games of chance, like dice and cards.

But its implications soon became clear. Bayes' theorem helps explain why highly accurate screening tests can lead to false positives, causing unnecessary anxiety for patients.

A failure to account for it in court has put innocent people in jail.

But its influence goes far beyond practical applications.

A cornerstone of rational thought, Bayesian principles are used in modelling and forecasting. 'Superforecasters', a group of expert predictors who outperform CIA analysts, use a Bayesian approach. And many argue that Bayes' theorem is not just a useful tool, but a description of almost everything - that it is the underlying architecture of rationality, and of the human brain. Fusing biography, razor-sharp science communication and intellectual history, Everything Is Predictable is a captivating tour of Bayes' theorem and its impact on modern life.

From medical testing to artificial intelligence, Tom Chivers shows how a single compelling idea can have far-reaching consequences.

Information

Other Formats

Save 9%

£22.00

£19.99

In Stock - usually despatched within 24 hours
Add to Basket
Sign in to add to wishlist
 
Free Home Delivery

on all orders

 
Pick up orders

from local bookshops

Information