Twisted Logic: Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Big Questions

Leighton Vaughan Williams

Jul 2024 · CRC Press

About this ebook

Twisted Logic: Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Big Questions delves into the intriguing world of twisted logic, where everyday conundrums, bewildering paradoxes, and life's big questions are investigated and decoded. Crafted for the curious mind, this book sheds light on how our intuition and common sense can often mislead us. Without the need for technical jargon or mathematical prowess, it serves as your personal compass through fascinating intellectual landscapes and ultimate explorations. From the quirky corners of Bayesian reasoning to practical strategies in daily choices, this is your companion for a clearer way of thinking.

Features:

• A comprehensive toolkit to refine your cognitive processes and avoid common pitfalls. Insights into the oddities of probability, strategy, and fate that govern our lives.
• A fresh perspective on everyday decisions and life's larger dilemmas, including finding everything from a place to eat to a new home to a life partner.
• Practical advice on optimising daily routines, such as determining the best time of day to arrange important appointments.
• Thought-provoking 'When Should We?' questions that challenge us to think critically about decision-making in our lives.
• Prepare to challenge your perceptions and unveil hidden truths. Twisted Logic is an enlightening adventure that promises to transform the mundane into the extraordinary.
• Embark on a journey where the only thing certain is the thrill of the unknown.

About the author

Leighton Vaughan Williams, PhD, FHEA, has researched and published extensively in the areas of probability, risk, and choice under uncertainty, notably as Professor of Economics and Finance at Nottingham Business School, as well as Director of the Betting Research Unit and of the Political Forecasting Unit. He has given expert witness evidence before national and international courts of law, including the UK’s Central Criminal Court and Scotland’s Court of Session, as well as select committees of the House of Commons and House of Lords. He has served as a senior adviser to UK Government departments, including HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as well as the National Audit Office.

Professor Vaughan Williams has taught and created courses nationally and internationally on the application of the tools of probability and statistics to real-world problems and paradoxes, and has organised a series of international conferences and symposia. He has served widely in editorial roles for leading academic journals and is an experienced consultant and expert witness. He is the author of ‘Probability, Choice, and Reason’, published by Chapman & Hall/CRC in 2021 and serves as President of Economic Issues.

Leighton was educated at University College, Cardiff (graduating summa cum laude), and at Hertford College, Oxford University.