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Nonplussed!: Mathematical Proof of Implausible Ideas
Math--the application of reasonable logic to reasonable assumptions--usually produces reasonable results But sometimes math generates astonishing paradoxes--conclusions that seem completely unreasonable or just plain impossible but that are nevertheless demonstrably true: Conclusions that, for example, tell us that a losing sports team can become a winning one by adding worse players than its opponents. Or that the thirteenth of the month is more likely to be a Friday than any other day. Or that cones can roll unaided uphill. In Nonplussed!--a delightfully eclectic collection of paradoxes from many different areas of math--popular-math writer Julian Havil reveals the math that shows the truth of these and many other unbelievable ideas. Nonplussed! pays special attention to problems from probability and statistics, areas where intuition can easily be wrong. These problems include the vagaries of tennis scoring, what can be deduced from tossing a needle, and disadvantageous games that form winning combinations. Other chapters address everything from the historically important Torricelli's Trumpet to the mind-warping implications of objects that live on high dimensions. Readers learn about the colorful history and people associated with many of these problems in addition to their mathematical proofs. Nonplussed! will appeal to anyone with a calculus background who enjoys popular math books or puzzles. .
Price: $15.27
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Implausible Beliefs: In the Bible, Astrology, and UFOs
Why do people accept ideas that are contradicted by science or logic? In Implausible Beliefs, Allan Mazur offers a comparative look at the nature of irrational belief systems, their social roots, and their cultural and political impact. Mazur first provides standards for judging beliefs implausible and assesses the scope of the problem in the United States with respect to politics and social policy. He describes and defends commonsense criteria that together make a strong case that certainly views should not be sustained in the face of present-day understanding. Mazur concludes this first part with a statistical portrait of implausible beliefs in the United States, and who tends to accept them. He then applies criteria for implausibility to the Bible, astrology, and visitation to Earth of intelligent beings from other worlds. Pointing out that everyone "knows" the Bible but few actually read it, Mazur scrolls through the first five books of the text, noting point after point that undermines scripture's natural history and moral guidance. Working on the assumption that implausible religious views are fundamentally no different from implausible secular views, he critiques secular beliefs in astrology and UFOs. Mazur concludes the volume with an attempt to explain why most people accept implausibilities--some more than others--despite evidence and logic that refute them. Looking to mainstream sociology and psychology, Mazur shows how as children we are socialized into these or similar beliefs, and how as adults we are influenced by spouses and friends. Personality is also a factor, sometimes abetted by stressful or lonely life situations. Implausible Beliefs differs from most current books on the subject by analyzing the overarching similarity of religious and secular belief systems. Lucidly written, it is a provocative and informative contribution to the literature of social psychology, sociology, religion, political science, and American studies..
Price: $17.47
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Bill of Rights' implausible defenders: An article from: The New American
An incredible deception is underway Ultra-leftist groups with long histories of supporting totalitarianism are posing as the chief defenders of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights against the current onslaught of police-state legislation. The Establishment media, of course, are assisting these pro-Communist poseurs, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). This digital document is an article from The New American, most recently published by The New American on January 27, 2003. The length of the article is 2072 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation DetailsTitle: Bill of Rights' implausible defenders Author: William F Jasper Publication:The New American (Feature) Date: January 27, 2003 Publisher: The New American Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Page: 15-17 Distributed by ProQuest Information and Learning.
Price: $3.00
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Bible stories: a sociologist looks at implausible beliefs in Genesis: the ongoing debate between scientists and creationists has ignored the contradictions ... An article from: Skeptical Inquirer
This digital document is an article from Skeptical Inquirer, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 3193 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation DetailsTitle: Bible stories: a sociologist looks at implausible beliefs in Genesis: the ongoing debate between scientists and creationists has ignored the contradictions contained in Genesis.(Science & Religion) Author: Allan Mazur Publication:Skeptical Inquirer (Magazine/Journal) Date: March 1, 2007 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Page: 54(4) Distributed by Thomson Gale.
Price: $9.95
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Mission implausible. (concept of a corporate virtual reality clinic) (The Soft Machine): An article from: Chief Executive (U.S.)
This digital document is an article from Chief Executive (U.S.), published by Chief Executive Publishing on March 1, 1992. The length of the article is 1009 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. From the supplier: The concept of a corporate virtual reality clinic (CVRC) extends the capacity for creative thinking and strategic planning of corporate directors and executives beyond the limits of the present realm. The CVRC concept is used tohumorously illustrate the shape of corporate planning in the future. The hypothetical CVRC is linked to interactive computers equipped with three-dimensional screens that allow all forms of expression of the executives to be relayed to the CEO in terms of sound, smell, feel and taste. The CVRC permits executives to go through a whole range of corporate planning scenarios while wearing a suit designed to relay all their thoughts and emotions with the goal of developing winning strategies. Citation DetailsTitle: Mission implausible. (concept of a corporate virtual reality clinic) (The Soft Machine) Author: Robert Bittlestone Publication:Chief Executive (U.S.) (Magazine/Journal) Date: March 1, 1992 Publisher: Chief Executive Publishing Issue: n74 Page: p70(1) Distributed by Thomson Gale.
Price: $5.95
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Nothing to Complain About?: Outlandish Letters for Implausible Problems
Here at last is the third wonderfully humourous and entertaining anthology of letters and replies from the correspondent from Hell, Michael A.Lee. The indignant author writes a moving letter of complaint to his dentist after a young neighbor's milk tooth is ignored by the tooth fairy; Kiklees Metropolitan Council respond to his letter bemoaning the number of poodies on Huddersfield's streets; Colonel Longman of the Royal Tank Regiment explains that he is unable to provide a think-tank; and the long-suffering Portia from Next Retail Customer Services Department bears the brunt of his complaint that he cannot find a Davy Crockett in his local store. Lee relentlessly pursues a host of unsuspecting high-profile individuals and organizations with strange complaints, and, incredibly, they respond. Nothing to Complain About? is a brilliant and hilarious excursion into the surreal world of quintessential British humor. .
Price: $5.49
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