Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 216 | John Allen Paulos on Numbers, Narratives, and Numeracy
7 snips
Oct 31, 2022 John Allen Paulos, a best-selling author and professor of mathematics at Temple University, discusses our complex relationship with math. He emphasizes the importance of numeracy in everyday life, exploring how storytelling can make mathematics more relatable. Topics include common misconceptions about probability, the Monty Hall paradox, and the vital role of mathematical literacy for informed citizenship. Paulos advocates for a curriculum that effectively teaches critical components like statistics and logical reasoning, aiming to demystify math for all.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Innumeracy as a Continuum
- Innumeracy is the inability to deal with basic numbers, probabilities, and logic.
- It exists on a continuum, unlike literacy, which is more binary.
Conditional Probability Example
- If a woman has at least one boy born in summer, the probability of two boys is 7/15ths.
- This illustrates how conditional probability can be counterintuitive.
Monty Hall Problem
- The Monty Hall problem highlights how conditional probability can be tricky.
- Switching doors after Monty opens one increases your odds from 1/3 to 2/3.
