COMMENT:An inability to handle basic mathematical concepts, particularly those relating to probability, is a prime reason that many are impressed by popular paranormal ideas. Without anything complicated, in fact employing reasonable order-of-magnitude estimations (a much more valuable skill than formal competence) throughout, Innumeracy exposes many misconceptions and pitfalls. Besides a section on pseudoscience, there is also a good discussion of the misuse of statistics in general.
DATE:19980922
KEYWORDS:pseudoscience psi quackery UFO
MISC:(180p.)
PUBLISHER:Hill and Wang (1990 Vintage)
SUBMITADDR:bibliographer@csicop.org
SUBMITNAME:Taner Edis
TITLE:Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences
