#44: Who’s Counting?

In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with John Allen Paulos about mathematical thinking. They discuss: •How he studied a number of subjects and then eventually settled on mathematics as a major. •Mathematics as a way of thinking. •The Monty Hall problem. •The concept of scaling and how it leads to size limitations in biology. •The Prosecutor's fallacy and conditional probabilities. •The conjunction fallacy and Wolf's dilemma. •The parallels between denial-of-service attacks on computer networks and the unmitigated spread of false information. •And other topics. Dr. John Allen Paulos is a bestselling author, mathematician, public speaker, and formerly a monthly columnist for ABCNews.com and occasionally for the Guardian and Scientific American. He grew up in Chicago and Milwaukee and received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin and now is a professor of mathematics at Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition to being the author of a number of scholarly papers on mathematical logic, probability, and the philosophy of science, Dr. Paulos has written Mathematics and Humor, I Think, Therefore I Laugh, Innumeracy - Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences, Beyond Numeracy - Ruminations of a Numbers Man, and more. His most recent book is “Who's Counting?: Uniting Numbers and Narratives with Stories from Pop Culture, Puzzles, Politics, and More.” Website: https://bit.ly/3SEClnt Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnAllenPaulos You can find this episode on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3xXyhXo Also, don't forget about our book “Thinking Critically. From Fake News to Conspiracy Theories. Using Logic to Safely Navigate the Information Landscape” if you're interested in exploring how logic can be used to better help you to discern fact from fiction. The information landscape is perilous, but with the help of this book as your guide, you will always be able to find your way towards truth. It's available on Amazon today! Book: https://amzn.to/3nWdawV This show is supported and produced by Final Stretch Media. Final Stretch believes in creating something that disrupts attention spans and challenges the marketing status quo. They do this by creating high quality visual content that captivates your audience. Website: https://bit.ly/3AsP3wZ This show is also supported by QuikLee; the creators of Brain Racers. The world's first ever live racing competition for the brain. Download their app and play live on the weekends on an iOS device against the world. We have raced and it's a blast! App Download: https://apple.co/33n8aJs