“No, not from a Google search, but by visiting Google, and talking to research scientists at Google. But it made sense to ask him how he knew that. One problem, Levitin writes, is that “we have created more information in the last five years than in all of human history before.” “Plausibility” is the opening chapter of the new book, and this assertion sounds plausible. It’s just this one wonderful writer’s take on how stats can be manipulated to make people believe in things that aren’t true.” It doesn’t pretend to be an exhaustive resource on statistics. “‘A Field Guide to Lies’ was very much influenced and based on that book. “I love that book, I’ve read it about six times,” Levitin said. Even the motivation for writing “Lies” seems less to present his mathematical and critical thinking skills than to pay tribute to a book published in 1954 called “How To Lie With Statistics” by Darrell Huff. Levitin leavens his scientific and statistical analysis with colorful words and colloquial expressions so that the opening section of “Lies,” with charts and diagrams and graphs, features headings such as “Hijinks With How Numbers Are Reported,” and “Axis Shenanigans.”Īs with almost everything he achieves, Levitin is quick to credit others. The loss of open-mindedness is the problem.” But now there is a core group on both sides if new bad information comes out about their candidate, they say, oh well, stuff happens, and if good information about the other candidate comes in, they refuse to evaluate it.
#Polymath synonym update#
“You update your understanding of the world as new information comes in. “A cornerstone of critical thinking is that you think like a Bayesian,” he said, referring to the evidence-reliant statistical analysis based on the ideas of the 18th-century English theologian and mathematician Thomas Bayes. Though politicians and biased media carry responsibility for trying to “bamboozle” the public, Levitin also addresses the careless or lazy critical thinking skills many have developed in the era of internet information overload. His new book, “A Field Guide of Lies,” is a timely primer on how statistics, polls and information presented as facts can be used by “lying weasels” to obscure the truth. He is also dean of arts and humanities at California’s Minerva Schools at KGI, an undergraduate four-year program that combines world travel and online learning. Levitin is winding down the lab and returning home to Northern California, where he will be a distinguished faculty fellow at the University of California, Berkeley beginning in March 2017. He has overseen production of greatest hits albums for Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder he has played saxophone with Sting, and he has scanned Sting’s brain at the Laboratory for Music Perception, Cognition and Expertise, Levitin’s base for the past 16 years at McGill University, in Montreal. Neuroscientist, musician, author, record producer, teacher and dedicated student and practitioner of Judaism, Levitin is one of those multifaceted people who deserve the often overused description “polymath.” His previous books, “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human” and “The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature,” were best-sellers, adept blends of his academic research and his work as a rock and pop musician, producer, engineer and record executive. Bird-watching is one of his interests trees are among his passions.