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Why We Do What We Do · Wednesday · 1 hr 1 min

How to Lie With Math

The title maybe a little misleading. This is about how we delude ourselves into adopting information as factual becuase it is presented using real math. Math is extremely important and valuable and a necessity for most sciences. However, like any other tool, math can give the illusion of knowledge while actually tricking us into believing things that are not correct. We primarily focus on averages and how problematic this concept can be, but extrapolate this into other forms of math that can be used to lie and mislead even the ones who are executing the computations. Recommendations Abraham: Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain With Democracy (Jonathan Rauch (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273540/cross-purposes/) Shane: Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun (https://open.spotify.com/album/2ITnf8HOokOJxjv483Dszk?si=3v175T9iRP2BY8aTU8XPqw) Holidays (9/23/2026): Celebrate Bi-Sexuality Day Dogs in Politics Day International Day of Sign Languages National Checkers Day National Great American Pot Pie Day National Snack Stick Day Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day See You at the Pole Teal Talk Day Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week Constitution Week Deaf Dog Awareness Week International Clean Hands Week International Deaf Awareness Week International Interpreters and Translators Week National Adult Day Services Week Click here to join our Patreon club! Links and References: https://www.toddrose.com/endofaverage https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/on-average/ https://www.anecdote.com/2023/03/179-there-is-no-average/ https://austraffic.com.au/aba/us-air-force-finds-averages-can-kill Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support. Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

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show notes

The title maybe a little misleading. This is about how we delude ourselves into adopting information as factual becuase it is presented using real math. Math is extremely important and valuable and a necessity for most sciences. However, like any other tool, math can give the illusion of knowledge while actually tricking us into believing things that are not correct. We primarily focus on averages and how problematic this concept can be, but extrapolate this into other forms of math that can be used to lie and mislead even the ones who are executing the computations. 

Recommendations
  • Abraham: Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain With Democracy (Jonathan Rauch (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273540/cross-purposes/)
  • Shane: Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun (https://open.spotify.com/album/2ITnf8HOokOJxjv483Dszk?si=3v175T9iRP2BY8aTU8XPqw)

Holidays (9/23/2026):
  • Celebrate Bi-Sexuality Day
  • Dogs in Politics Day
  • International Day of Sign Languages
  • National Checkers Day
  • National Great American Pot Pie Day
  • National Snack Stick Day
  • Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day
  • See You at the Pole
  • Teal Talk Day
  • Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week
  • Constitution Week
  • Deaf Dog Awareness Week
  • International Clean Hands Week
  • International Deaf Awareness Week
  • International Interpreters and Translators Week
  • National Adult Day Services Week



Click here to join our Patreon club!

Links and References: 
  1. https://www.toddrose.com/endofaverage
  2. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/on-average/ 
  3. https://www.anecdote.com/2023/03/179-there-is-no-average/
  4. https://austraffic.com.au/aba/us-air-force-finds-averages-can-kill 


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
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