The author has built an innovative system for predicting baseball performance, predicted the 2008 election within a hair's breadth, and has become a national sensation as a blogger. Drawing on his own groundbreaking work, he examines the world of prediction. Human beings have to make plans and strategize for the future. As the pace of our lives becomes faster and faster, we have to do so more often and more quickly. But are our predictions any good?...

"While a wealth of literature has been devoted to life with the Internet, the deep philosophical implications of this seismic shift have not been properly explored ... Demonstrating that knowledge based on reason plays an essential role in society and that there is much more to 'knowing' than just acquiring information, ... philosopher Michael Patrick Lynch [posits that] our digital way of life makes us overvalue some ways of processing information...

"Dr. Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known both for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and for his mischievous sense of humor. He educated millions of readers about the origins of the universe and the nature of black holes, and inspired millions more by defying a terrifying early prognosis of ALS, which originally gave him only two years to live. In later life he could communicate only by using a few facial...

Looks at the state of knowledge in the American public, and demonstrates how many areas of knowledge correlate with quality of life, politics, and behavior, arguing that being knowledgeable has significant value even when facts can be looked up with little effort.

For 3,000 years, humanity has grappled with fundamental questions about the nature of reality, the purpose of life, the balance between freedom and laws, the uses of power, and the definitions of justice and beauty. Since civilization began brilliant minds have pondered these questions--and their search for answers has left us an intellectual legacy of unsurpassed depth and richness. This course addresses the Western philosophical tradition with a...

"A captivating journey to the outer frontiers of human knowledge by the popular presenter of Netflix's The Story of Math Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know-- to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. But are there limits to human knowledge? This tantalizing question has inspired scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to join him on a journey to the...