Number Game
How reliable are the numbers we use?
4.7 (27)
43 mins
Numbers are everywhere, playing an important role in shaping our decisions and understanding the world. In this skoob, we explore the evolution of numbers from ancient tallying systems to modern data analysis.
Ep 1:
Welcome to the Number Game
From cave tallies to big data, host Madison Reed traces humanity's ancient obsession with numbers—and asks whether our faith in data is truly justified.
Ep 2:
Wall Street's Seductive Numbers
Quants conquered Wall Street with cold, precise math, but numbers convince in ways stories never could—and that seductive power hides a dangerous illusion of control.
Ep 3:
When Models Break the Bank
Precision isn't accuracy. Nobel laureates' hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management proves even genius quant models can collapse spectacularly when reality defies the numbers.
Ep 4:
What Chimps Know About Math
Chimpanzees can add and compare quantities without training—but their mathematical limits reveal surprising truths about how all brains, including ours, process numbers.
Ep 5:
The Lies Percentages and P-Values Tell
Percentages can exceed 100%, and p-values rarely mean what we think—this episode exposes the statistical traps lurking behind seemingly objective data.
Discussions (19)
Elvis
Level 3 · 8 mo agoImagine being a Nobel winner at LTCM and still going broke cause of math. Fumbled the bag harder than i fumble every chance with a girl.
Levi
Level 10 · 9 mo agoDark pools are so shady!
Hazel
Level 4 · 9 mo agoThe bit about health metrics giving a false sense of control is spot on. My Garmin stress score usually just makes me panic more than it helps me relax.
