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dronethebone

Re:Ask HN: best way to become a "Numerati"? on Monday November 17, 2008 @12:30PM (#367103)
Look at some fun stuff like the Monty Hall problem, and Benford's law. These are delightful examples of how counterintuitive probabilities and statistics can be. If either of these things surprise you, you are in the great majority, and unlikely to perform practical statistical work without first doing a great deal of studying. Nothing to be ashamed of, not even Gauss was born knowing this stuff.
Re:Ask YC: What's the most inspiring sci-fi book you've read? on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @10:08AM (#140800)
Carl Sagan's "Contact" was surprisingly good, educational, and even a bit inspirational. The movie was only so-so, so don't let the movie put you off.