PIRSA:09050048

The Drunkard's Walk

Mlodinow, L. (2009). The Drunkard's Walk. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/09050048

Mlodinow, Leonard. The Drunkard's Walk. Perimeter Institute, May. 06, 2009, https://pirsa.org/09050048 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:09050048,
            doi = {},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/09050048},
            author = {Mlodinow, Leonard},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {The Drunkard{\textquoteright}s Walk},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2009},
            month = {may},
            note = {PIRSA:09050048 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Leonard Mlodinow California Institute of Technology (Caltech) - Division of Physics Mathematics & Astronomy

Collection
Talk Type Public Lectures

Abstract

In The Drunkard's Walk, acclaimed writer and scientist Leonard Mlodinow shows us how randomness, change, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives, and how we misunderstand the significance of everything from a casual conversation to a major financial setback. As a result, successes and failures in life are often attributed to clear and obvious cases, when in actuality they are more profoundly influenced by chance. By showing us the true nature of chance and revealing the psychological illusions that cause us to misjudge the world around us, Mlodinow gives us the tools we need to make more informed decisions.
Leonard Mlodinow received his doctorate in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, was an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the Max Planck Institute, and now teaches about randomness to future scientists at Caltech. Along the way he also wrote for the television series MacGyver and Star Trek: The Next Generation. His previous books include Euclid's Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace, Feynman's Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life, and, with Stephen Hawking, A Briefer History of Time. He lives in South Pasadena, California.