
You Are Probability
Surfing the Matrix
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
William L. Sturdevant
-
By:
-
Andrea Diem-Lane
About this listen
As I glance around the room, I notice that after lecturing for an hour and a 45 minutes straight on quantum theory, desultory decussation, and Wolfram's new kind of science, I see a Krispy Crème glaze descend over a few of my students' eyes. The fantastic implications of chance and necessity (to echo the title of biologist Jacques Monod's famous 1970s book) appears either to have gone over their heads or, more likely, seems of little practical consequence in their day to day lives.
I then try to draw out more clearly how understanding probability can radically alter how one views life. Imagine in this moment that you have a California Lottery "scratcher" ticket and as you systematically scratch off your numbers and their adjoining prizes, you realize in the middle of class that you have won a mega jackpot of five million dollars. What would you do? I suspect that most of my students would stand up and leave the room there and then. One thing is for sure, however: It would wake them up and give them a huge and intoxicating adrenaline rush.
The winning student might later ruminate about his or her good fortune and reflect upon how lucky they were (given the astronomical odds against them - one in 2,400,000) in securing that particular ticket.
I give this illustration to my students because a winning lottery number exponentially pales in comparison to the odds against them being alive and breathing (even if they nod off a bit here and there) at this very juncture in history. But in order to appreciate the anomaly of one's existence it is necessary to get a deeper understanding of the theory of large numbers.
©2011, 2014 David Christopher Lane (P)2016 David Christopher LaneListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Feynman Imperative
- Why Science Works
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Steve Toner
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book consists of six distinct essays describing how science works, with special attention to how Richard Feynman viewed the scientific method. Chapter one explores the difference between evolution and mysticism's version of intelligent design. Chapter two is entitled The Feynman Imperative and explores a contentious debate over reductionism and its role in the hard sciences, particularly in explaining consciousness.
-
-
Decent, not what I was hoping for...
- By julio mendez on 06-08-16
-
Contagious Cults
- Meme Theory and the Evolution of Five New Religions
- By: Andrea Diem
- Narrated by: Paul Metcalfe
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This small book offers a critical presentation of meme theory as developed by Richard Dawkins and Susan Blackmore, which helps in understanding why some new religious movements have become more popular over time. Ideas, or memes, survive by making copies of themselves in host environments–usually human brains. But with fewer hosts than ideas, competition exists for these scarce enclaves. Moreover, the strongest ideas are not necessarily the best but rather those that can survive and make copies of themselves.
By: Andrea Diem
-
Doubting Mind
- Great Skeptical Thinkers
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Nathan Murray
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book, edited by Professor David Christopher Lane from Mt. San Antonio College, contains 13 distinct essays each written by a different author on famous skeptics such as Brian Cox, Sam Harris, Phillip J. Klass, and more.
-
Why Living Today Is Better Than Yesterday
- Illuminating Steven Pinker's Theory of Progress
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
According to Steven Pinker in his new book, Enlightenment Now, the best time is precisely now. The only thing holding us back is waking up to it. Lest we forget, we are the lucky 8 billion who have been favored to be born human. We are, in sum, winners in the Darwinian lottery of life. This audiobook provides an illustrated glimpse into Pinker's idea that things have gotten better on planet Earth. Also provides new insights into a concept called "The Meta-Person Project".
-
-
Uplifting and Encouraging
- By Owen Guidry on 03-18-21
-
Maya: The Physics of Deception
- By: Andrea Diem-Lane, David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Joseph Wosik
- Length: 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook explores the ancient Indian concept of Maya. Utilizing the latest research in neuroscience and physics, this work explains why Maya (or the notion of illusion) is an important concept and better understood today in light of science, even though ancient rishis had glimpsed its importance thousands of years ago.
By: Andrea Diem-Lane, and others
-
Surfing in the Cerebral Hemisphere
- Rogue Waves of Information
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Karey James Kimmel
- Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book touches upon a number of cutting edge issues in science, including artificial intelligence and its impact on humankind, Darwin's moral sense and its implications, and how to think critically in an age of paranormal beliefs.
-
The Feynman Imperative
- Why Science Works
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Steve Toner
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book consists of six distinct essays describing how science works, with special attention to how Richard Feynman viewed the scientific method. Chapter one explores the difference between evolution and mysticism's version of intelligent design. Chapter two is entitled The Feynman Imperative and explores a contentious debate over reductionism and its role in the hard sciences, particularly in explaining consciousness.
-
-
Decent, not what I was hoping for...
- By julio mendez on 06-08-16
-
Contagious Cults
- Meme Theory and the Evolution of Five New Religions
- By: Andrea Diem
- Narrated by: Paul Metcalfe
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This small book offers a critical presentation of meme theory as developed by Richard Dawkins and Susan Blackmore, which helps in understanding why some new religious movements have become more popular over time. Ideas, or memes, survive by making copies of themselves in host environments–usually human brains. But with fewer hosts than ideas, competition exists for these scarce enclaves. Moreover, the strongest ideas are not necessarily the best but rather those that can survive and make copies of themselves.
By: Andrea Diem
-
Doubting Mind
- Great Skeptical Thinkers
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Nathan Murray
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book, edited by Professor David Christopher Lane from Mt. San Antonio College, contains 13 distinct essays each written by a different author on famous skeptics such as Brian Cox, Sam Harris, Phillip J. Klass, and more.
-
Why Living Today Is Better Than Yesterday
- Illuminating Steven Pinker's Theory of Progress
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
According to Steven Pinker in his new book, Enlightenment Now, the best time is precisely now. The only thing holding us back is waking up to it. Lest we forget, we are the lucky 8 billion who have been favored to be born human. We are, in sum, winners in the Darwinian lottery of life. This audiobook provides an illustrated glimpse into Pinker's idea that things have gotten better on planet Earth. Also provides new insights into a concept called "The Meta-Person Project".
-
-
Uplifting and Encouraging
- By Owen Guidry on 03-18-21
-
Maya: The Physics of Deception
- By: Andrea Diem-Lane, David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Joseph Wosik
- Length: 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook explores the ancient Indian concept of Maya. Utilizing the latest research in neuroscience and physics, this work explains why Maya (or the notion of illusion) is an important concept and better understood today in light of science, even though ancient rishis had glimpsed its importance thousands of years ago.
By: Andrea Diem-Lane, and others
-
Surfing in the Cerebral Hemisphere
- Rogue Waves of Information
- By: David Christopher Lane
- Narrated by: Karey James Kimmel
- Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book touches upon a number of cutting edge issues in science, including artificial intelligence and its impact on humankind, Darwin's moral sense and its implications, and how to think critically in an age of paranormal beliefs.
What listeners say about You Are Probability
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. D. Sims
- 12-14-19
a short introduction to a impossibly vast subject
a billion answers are applied to a billion questions. how many points of intersection occur.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SarahK
- 03-01-16
Great Book!
An interesting little book. I've experienced my own thoughts and questions on some of the topics that are addressed in this book, but I could never put it into words.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-11-17
Okay book.
The book is all over the place and mostly talks about humans seeking patterns. I was hoping for more examples of probability. There wasn't much of a build up to the infinitesimal probability which is really of no practical use. Great its very unlikely that I was born. In reality I'm of no importance on the scale of the universe.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Adam Silva
- 03-23-25
Crap
Didn’t like at all what a waste of time. Another one written just for making money
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!