Outnumbered : from Facebook and Google to fake news and filter-bubbles -- the algorithms that control our lives

'Fascinating' Financial Times Algorithms are running our society, and as the Cambridge Analytica story has revealed, we don't really know what they are up to. Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits. But how reliable is this data? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do, it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyse us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions such as: Who are Cambridge Analytica? And what are they doing with our data? How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality? Are Google algorithms racist and sexist? Why do election predictions fail so drastically? Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes? What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines? Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm research, including Alex Kogan from the Cambridge Analytica story, along with a healthy dose of mathematical self-experiment, Outnumbered will explain how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. A lot of people feel outnumbered by algorithms – don't be one of them. The extent to which algorithms monitor and determine the course of movements in modern life that might appear self-directed gets unpacked in this warning about the complex mathematics that adjust our experience based on the trail we leave, from the author of }Soccermatics{. Algorithms are running our society, and as the Cambridge Analytica story has revealed, we don't really know what they are up to. Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits. But how reliable is this data? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do, it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyse us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions such as: Who are Cambridge Analytica? And what are they doing with our data? How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality? Are Google algorithms racist and sexist? Why do election predictions fail so drastically? Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes? What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines? Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm research, including Alex Kogan from the Cambridge Analytica story, along with a healthy dose of mathematical self-experiment, Outnumbered will explain how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. A lot of people feel outnumbered by algorithms - don't be one of them Outnumbered is a journey to the dark side of mathematics, from how it dictates our social media activities to our travel routes. Algorithms are running our society, and as Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal has revealed, we don't even realize how our data has been used against us. David Sumpter investigates whether mathematics is crossing dangerous lines when it comes to what we can make decisions about. Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy, and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits, and increasingly we are relinquishing our decision-making to algorithms. Are we giving this up too easily? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyze us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions Who are Cambridge Analytica, and what are they doing with our data? How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality? Are Google algorithms racist and sexist? Why do election predictions fail so drastically? Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes? What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines? Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm, Outnumbered explains how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. 'Fascinating' - Financial Times Algorithms are running our society, and as the Cambridge Analytica story has revealed, we don't really know what they are up to. Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits. But how reliable is this data? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do, it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyse us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions such as: - Who are Cambridge Analytica? And what are they doing with our data? - How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality? - Are Google algorithms racist and sexist? - Why do election predictions fail so drastically? - Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes? - What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines? Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm research, including Alex Kogan from the Cambridge Analytica story, along with a healthy dose of mathematical self-experiment, Outnumbered explains how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. A lot of people feel outnumbered by algorithms – don't be one of them. "Algorithms are running our society, and we don't really know what they are up to. Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits. But how reliable is this data? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do, it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyse us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions such as: Who are Cambridge Analytica? And what are they doing with our data? How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality? Are Google algorithms racist and sexist? Why do election predictions fail so drastically? Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes? What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines? Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm research, including Alex Kogan from the Cambridge Analytica story, along with a healthy dose of mathematical self-experiment, Outnumbered will explain how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. A lot of people feel outnumbered by algorithms--don't be one of them."--Jacket. Algorithms are running our society and we don't really know what they are up to. Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits. But how reliable is this data? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do, it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyse us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions such as: How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality?Are Google algorithms racist and sexist?Why do election predictions fail so drastically? Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes?What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines? Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm research along with a healthy dose of mathematical self-experiment, __Outnumbered__ will explain how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. A lot of people feel outnumbered by algorithms--don't be one of them. In This Book, David Sumpter Takes An Algorithm-strewn Journey To The Dark Side Of Mathematics. He Investigates The Equations That Analyse Us., Influence Us And Will (maybe) Become Like Us, Answering Questions Such As: Are Google Algorithms Racist And Sexist? ; Why Do Election Predictions Fall So Drastically? ; What Does The Future Hold As We Relinquish Our Decision-making To Machines? Featuring Interviews With Those Working At The Cutting Edge Of Algorithm Research, Along With A Healthy Dose Of Mathematical Self-experiment, Outnumbered Will Explain How Mathematics And Statistics Work In The Real World, And What We Should And Shouldn't Worry About.--from Book Cover Part 1. Analysing Us: Finding Banksy ; Make Some Noise ; The Principal Components Of Friendship ; One Hundred Dimensions Of You ; Cambridge Hyperbolytica ; Impossibly Unbiased ; The Data Alchemists -- Part 2. Influencing Us: Nate Silver Vs The Rest Of Us ; We Also Liked The Internet ; The Popularity Contest ; Bubbling Up ; Football Matters ; Who Reads Fake News? -- Part 3. Becoming Us: Learning To Be Sexist ; The Only Thought Between The Decimal ; Kick Your Ass At Space Invaders -- The Bacterial Brain -- Back To Reality. David Sumpter. Featuring Cambridge Analytica--on Cover. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 247-264) And Index.