Certainly uncertain: navigating risk and probability with Sir David Spiegelhalter

Babbage from The Economist

02-10-2024 • 31 mins

The world can be an unpredictable and uncertain place. While some people relish those uncertainties, others become crippled by anxiety. Our guest has a way to help: mathematics. Specifically, statistics. Get better at spotting patterns and you’ll gain an understanding of the real nature of risk, chance and luck. Used properly, the surprising science of statistics can provide a sense of order to the risks of everyday life and could even help us make wiser decisions.


Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, speaks to Sir David Spiegelhater, a professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge and the author of “The Art of Uncertainty”.


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