2min chapter

The Infinite Monkey Cage cover image

How to think like a mathematician

The Infinite Monkey Cage

CHAPTER

Why You Can't Make These Predictions, but There's Still Error

I don't think you can, basically, in short. And the reason why you can's is because I'm sitting here saying, yeah, you can make these predictions, but there's still, as Randall said, there's still error. When you start taking those predictions too seriously, that's where things start to become really problematic. Because then you start applying them to individuals, as though it's like an absolute cold-hard fact, like, somebody must murder. It's true, though. You do have statistics where huge numbers of, say, one group are committing crimes more than another. Or in a city, I would think, mathematically speaking, crimes are happening more often

00:00

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode