Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences - Introduction, Chapter 1 - Examples and Principles Summary & Analysis

John Allen Paulos
This Study Guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Innumeracy.

Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences - Introduction, Chapter 1 - Examples and Principles Summary & Analysis

John Allen Paulos
This Study Guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Innumeracy.
This section contains 504 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)
Buy the Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences Study Guide

Introduction, Chapter 1 - Examples and Principles Summary and Analysis

There are many educated people in the world who consistently misuse math. While a grammarian may cringe over a misused word, one would rarely recognize an egregious error when another estimates probability. One example Paulos uses is a common error made by weather forecasters. A weather forecaster may announce that a 50 percent chance of rain on Saturday and a 50 percent chance of rain on Sunday means a there's a 100 percent chance of rain over the weekend, which is false. Paulos also finds that doctors are rarely correct in estimating a patient's chance for success during surgery. If a doctor says that there is one in a million chances of a mishap, then the follow up remark that the procedure is 99 percent safe is incorrect.

As a mathematician, the author claims to...

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This section contains 504 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)
Buy the Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences Study Guide
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