FROM COSMOS TO CHAOS by Peter Coles ( 9780199588145 ) - Books & Audio Books at Pickabook.co.uk

Item Details

Title:

FROM COSMOS TO CHAOS
THE SCIENCE OF UNPREDICTABILITY

By:

Peter Coles

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£31.49

Our price:

£27.55

Discount:

12.5% off

You save:

£3.94

ISBN 10:

0199588147

ISBN 13:

9780199588145

Availability:

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Stock:

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Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

19 August, 2010

Pages:

224

Description:

This book looks at the role of probability in modern science. Using the most exciting developments in fundamental physics as examples, it shows the centrality of uncertainty and incomplete knowledge. Written by an insider, and using non-technical language, it is an attempt to explain how science really works.

Synopsis:

Cosmology has undergone a revolution in recent years. The exciting interplay between astronomy and fundamental physics has led to dramatic revelations, including the existence of the dark matter and the dark energy that appear to dominate our cosmos. But these discoveries only reveal themselves through small effects in noisy experimental data. Dealing with such observations requires the careful application of probability and statistics. But it is not only in the arcane world of fundamental physics that probability theory plays such an important role. It has an impact in many aspects of our everyday life, from the law courts to the lottery. Why then do so few people understand probability? And why do so few people understand why it is so important for science? Why do so many people think that science is about absolute certainty when, at its core, it is actually dominated by uncertainty? This book attempts to explain the basics of probability theory, and illustrate their application across the entire spectrum of science.

Illustrations:

20 b/w line and hlftone illustrations

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Returns:

Returnable

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