Proof
The Uncertain Science of Certainty
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Profile Books Ltd
Publishing:20th Mar '25
£22.00
This title is due to be published on 20th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
How do we know what's true? The bestselling author of The Rules of Contagion mines two millennia of knowledge to find out
'Profound and utterly absorbing. Kucharski elegantly explores how proof is not just a mathematical concept but a vital tool in decision-making, justice, and survival' CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN How do you know if something is true? And once you get there, how do you convince others? For over two thousand years, scientific progress has relied on different methods of establishing fact from fiction. From the medieval Islamic world to the recent pandemic, the reasoning went: achieve logical perfection, and you would be rewarded with ultimate, universal truth. But there is far more to proof than axioms, theories and laws: when demonstrating that a new medical treatment works, persuading a jury of someone's guilt, or deciding whether you trust a self-driving car or a financial transaction, the weighing up of evidence is far from simple. Bestselling author, statistician and epidemiologist Adam Kucharski ranges across science, politics, philosophy and economics, to explore how truth emerges - and why it falters.
Adam Kucharski is that rarest of beasts: a true mathematical expert who can also write beautiful accessible, human prose. Proof is a profound and utterly absorbing exploration of the limits and power of proof and truth, both in mathematics and in life itself. It's about the relationship between mathematics, logic, and the quest for certainty that we find ourselves on, whether we're running the country or trying to decide on what to do with a medical test result. Kucharski elegantly explores how proof is not just a mathematical concept but a vital tool in decision-making, justice, and survival - it's brilliant. -- Chris van Tulleken, author of ULTRA PROCESSED PEOPLE
A vivid, intelligent and wide-ranging book about how we know what we know. Adam Kucharski is a brilliant and entertaining guide -- Tim Harford, author of HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD ADD UP
Praise for The Rules of Contagion * : *
An eye-opening read, a worthwhile book * Sunday Times *
A clear, calm, historical overview of the mathematical ideas at the forefront of our pandemic response, where they came from and how well they stand up when you put them to the test. -- Hannah Fry * Guardian *
Charts the history of this now-pivotal science, from its origins in understanding the spread of malaria, to its central role in predicting the dissemination of everything from diseases to fake news. * Economist *
Astonishingly bold...Kucharski has pulled off the extraordinary trick of shining the brightest light on this unseen, menacing, but ultimately beatable, enemy. * Daily Mail *
ISBN: 9781788169080
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
368 pages
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