by John Loase

A Case for the Liberal Arts

The new book by Dr. John Loase, The Power of Uncertainty - A Case for the Liberal Arts, demonstrates the positive effects of recognizing and appreciating the illumination we could experience in recognizing and admitting uncertainty in all human endeavors. This valuable new book illuminates uncertainty in many areas, including a variety of mathematical and scientific ideas and extends to the recognition of the human advantage implicit in questioning our certitude regarding, for example, our religious beliefs (or total non-beliefs), the dangerousness of our many prejudices and convictions concerning free will or the capacity for redemption or progress of those "other" human beings or nations that we often conclude are so really "different" from ourselves. The richness of his examples and arguments inevitably leads to a discussion of the meaning, power and all-encompassing humanity of philosophy, literature, film, as well as all the arts, because respecting and understanding the expressions of all mankind truly unfastens the binding chains of our often unchallenged assurances and prejudices.  (Louis Rotando)

CONTENTS:

Part 1 - Pure Mathematics
Chapter 0 - The Uncertainty Quotient Test
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapter 2 - My Uncertainty History
Chapter 3 - 1 + 1 = 2
Chapter 4 - Is Mathematics Discovered or Invented?
Chapter 5 - Uncertainty Defeats Hitler
Chapter 6 - The Current State of the Irrationals
Chapter 7 - Uncertainty Revisited
Part 2 - Impure Mathematics – Statistics and Science
Chapter 8 - Impure Mathematics
Chapter 9 - Probability
Chapter 10 - Averages
Chapter 11 - Variance
Chapter 12 - Central Limit Theorem
Chapter 13 - Confidence Intervals
Chapter 14 - The #1 Topic in Elementary Statistics – Correlation
Chapter 15 - Prediction - Linear Regression
Chapter 16 - Bayesian Statistics
Chapter 17 - Science
Chapter 18 - Free Will vs. Determinism
Chapter 19 - Why Liberal Arts?
Chapter 20 - Literature and Film
Chapter 21 - Psychology
Chapter 22 - Language

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