Sharon Bertsch McGrayne -

Bayes' rule found AF 447

May 11, 2012

Tags: AF 447, Air France flight 447, Bayes, Metron, Theory That Would Not Die

Few realize the key role played by a long-discredited 18th century mathematical theory in finding and recovering the wreckage of AF 447.

After a fruitless two-year search for Air France Flight 447, Bayes’ rule pointed to its most probable location—where it was found after only one week of undersea searching.

The 2009 crash of AF 447 was one of the most mysterious accidents in aviation history. Read More

1 Comments

A New (& little) take on the Periodic Table

May 6, 2012

I just read and enjoyed The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction, by Eric R. Scerri (Oxford 2012).

The periodic table of the elements is one of the icons of science. As author Eric Scerri writes, “The periodic table ranks as one of the most fruitful and unifying ideas in the whole of modern science, Read More

4 Comments

Comments

May 09, 2012 8:40 AM EDT

Fantastic review...right on about Dr. Scerri's ability to engage the reader any reader about the periodic table as a history and most interesting integral part of our lives.

- Scott Riggi

May 10, 2012 9:10 AM EDT

I am currently reading this book. Great to know what's coming. So far I am fascinated at his fascination with the table. It is contagious. Like you I find the fact that he feels it incomplete and still needs adjustment, a real thing to consider and I agree that this book is perfect as a gift. But I wouldn't limit it to anyone interested in science. The way it is written, I think anyone interested in learning about the world around them would find this to be a great read!

- Teresa Bondora (The Periodic Table of Element Coloring Book)

May 10, 2012 9:22 AM EDT

Many thanks Sharon and Scott.

Coming from such an accomplished writer as Sharon these comments are especially gratifying. I have two of her books including "Prometheans in the Lab" in which she recounts the odd story of Thomas Midgley. Excellent read for anyone interested in science. Midgley not only put the lead in gasoline but also helped to threaten the ozone layer as a result of his chemical inventions.

- Eric Scerri

Jun 19, 2012 8:33 AM EDT

Dear Sharon,

having read the book several times and sought after similar titles, treating the subject from a contemporary view of a chemist, I soon stepped upon the Book of the distinguished Chemist Henry A. Bent (known, amongst other great contributions, for "Bent´s rule", a descriptor in VSEPR theory...), entitled New Ideas in Chemistry from fresh Energy for the Periodic system", 2006 - cf. sources on the Internet). SInce then, I take another, very different view of Eric Scerris approach to the subject. First of all, Scerri does not properly cite Bent´s work, instead, he refers to "...some other authors" and omits purposefully a decent discussion of Bent´s results about the significance of the Left Step Periodic Table (LSPT). It´s a shame. Other scientific contemporaries, like the Theoretical Chemist Schwarz, show the same practice. I highly recommend the study of Henry Bent´s publications.

- Dr. Marcus Wolf, Nürnberg

CHANCE features Theory/Die

March 3, 2012

Tags: CHANCE, Interview, Review

CHANCE magazine this week: ”The Theory That Would Not Die is ...carefully balanced to be accessible to a lay audience while captivating to a statistical one. Told without formulas, this eloquently written story is the history of an idea—a far-from-exhaustive, but enlightening, chronicle of the triumphs of Bayesian analysis.”

CHANCE's cover story is an interview with me about writing the book.
http://chance.amstat.org/2012/02/mcgrayne-interview/

Chance editors interviewed me extensively – in Paris, in Maryland, in Washington DC., and by email. They asked probing questions– including my opinion of some of the book's critics on Amazon.com.

The issue also has a review by Christian Robert and a Letter from Editor Sam Behseta.

chance.amstat.org/2012/02/editors-letter-vol-25-no-1/ 

Chance is the American Statistical Association’s magazine for general readers interested in analyzing data.

And who are the three men on the cover? Laplace is front and center – where he should be. Thomas Bayes is on the left and Harold Jeffreys on the right. Read More

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Bayes at Microsoft Research

February 27, 2012

Tags: Microsoft Research Talk

Tracing the origins of spam filters back to the U-boat battles of World War II. Hearing about Stanford's lack of interest in probabilities in the late 1980s. And an intriguing question: Was Bill Gates a Bayesian?

research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=159395

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Palomares Cleanup

February 23, 2012

Tags: Palomares, h-bomb

Spain has announced that the US may cleanup the results of an H-bomb accident it caused in the little village of Palomares 46 years ago.

Almost half a century after the U.S. Air Force accidentally dropped four hydrogen bombs near a remote Spanish fishing village, the Obama administration may help clean up plutonium-polluted soil Read More

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Selected Works

Nonfiction

The Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes’ Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines, and Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy.

The non-mathematical story of the fight over Bayes' rule and its ultimate triumph.

"A rollicking tale of the triumph of a powerful mathematical tool."

—Nature

"If you are not thinking like a Bayesian, perhaps you should be." John Allen Paulos, New York Times Book Review.
Editor's Choice, New York Times Book Review.

Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles and Momentous Discoveries

Biographies of 15 women scientists who won a Nobel Prize—or came very close.

“Spellbinding, compelling.”

—The Science Teacher

Prometheans in the Lab: Chemistry and the Making of the Modern World

Biographies of nine chemists whose discoveries solved serious social and technological problems.

“A compelling read… fascinating.”

—Nature