Statistics: Why the truth matters - Tim Harford

Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures: Tim Harford - Statistics: Why the truth matters

From the tobacco companies in the fifties to the arguments of the Brexit campaign, Economist and BBC Radio 4 Presenter Tim Harford takes us on a tour of truths, facts and the weapon that is doubt. Surely fact-checking websites and rational thinking are the best weapons to convince people of the truth? Or is the truth simply not good enough. Do we have time or any inclination to hear it? Maybe we need to start with something simpler. Perhaps arousing people's curiosity might be just as important.

Watch Tim make his case in the latest of the successful Oxford Mathematics Public Lecture series.

[Vikas-mjdt]

Tim Harford's undercover economist book is greatest book i ever read on economics

[brainstormingsharing]

Absolutely well done and definitely keep it up!!! 👍👍👍👍👍

[petehiggins]

Why has this video only got one comment? Er make that two comments. I remember the £350M but I don't remember if it was per year, per month, per week or per day.

[andrewharrison]

This video is coming up to 4 years old, it deserves more views, very thought provoking. Events since then have only served to underline his points. I wonder what the algorithm has against the key words for this talk? Let me guess: "Statistics", "Truth", "Oxford Mathematics" - I think that explains it.

[philipimmaraj]

Why Truth matters? As Tim Harford says...in short: We only seek what we want to know. (A truth- since life began!!) All his points and examples were current and topically relevant and yet inspired no creativity nor desire to excel nor created any doubts to achieve any increased knowledge of facts. Nothing really insightful as he ends with a ho-hum: "Let's drive curiosity!" in a world that he mentions has fake news which is infinitely more interesting with distractions galore! Doubts create a little uncertainty yet there are infinite permutations and combinations of completely acceptable lies for getting through life without challenges. Besides - how dare you question my lies? NO ONE WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH.
Sure they want facts and there are people to explain them. However, we just want to know enough of the truth that appeals to us and discard the rest or skim the surface and pretend we know it all. We can talk cleverly with detail for an hour on all the raves and faves, yet facts are unimportant and by the way the conversation has moved on and no one is really keen anymore. (The ads have taken over!)

We are better at avoiding all semblance of the embarrassing truth or else we will need to STOP walking our fingers over our analgesic entertaining devices, living on mushrooms and weed in our bedrooms, watching virtual or reality nonsense, stop standing around holding placards to change the world and making speeches about climate, raising distractions and paperwork about confused entitlement for children above adults and woke terminology and exploding policies, surmounting employment procedures but no work, investigating commissions and impeaching politicians through social Getup and Go signature campaigns.

I can sit and theorize in my bedroom of the most intricate matters, yet when we live a real life of surmounting challenges, facing pain head-on, we realise that we do not know. That unknown factor drives our curiosity to KNOW new things BUT what really causes us to LEARN new things? Get real - Don't just study a new course or book, it's a new job, an incentive for fame, finance or flame - that will help you LEARN.

Truth is that PRACTICAL help is needed to change the world FOR OTHERS. How much real value has a woke climate-tree hugger, personally contributed in life TO REAL PEOPLE? Pointing fingers at others is all that we do.
The truth is that I am responsible, I am accountable and I have a role to play. Honestly, if I have integrity and accept humbly that I am to blame as well, we are not ready to drive curiosity to the end of the marvellous rainbow of knowledge where truth lies buried but hard work is required to dig it out. My life is worth it to others around me. Is yours?
Let me just say The Truth - Who really wants truth? Cause we just cannot handle The Truth!! - and The TRUTH really really hurts!