The German 10-Mark note (pre-Euro) featured Carl Friederich Gauß and his equation describing the “normal curve” of probability distribution.
QUOTES
Albert Einstein
If we knew what it was we were doing,
it would not be called research, would it?
Ian
Hacking
The taming of chance and the erosion of determinism constitute one of the
most revolutionary changes in the history of the human mind.
Stephen M. Stigler
One of the great mental experiments of all time.
Stephen M. Stigler
The advances in scientific logic that took place in statistics before 1900
were to be every bit as influential as those associated with the names Newton
and Darwin.
Theodore Porter
The study of statistics has reshaped much of social and natural science,
without drawing much attention to itself.
Gerrit
L. Verschuur
An adventure of discovery underlies all of science.
Max Planck
An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning
over and converting its opponents.
Mitchell Wilson
To the scientist, age comes as a surprise – a rather unfair surprise.
ARTICLES
The
Rise of Probabilistic and Statistical Thinking
Psychology, agronomy, medicine, and numerous other fields of study adopted probability
as a key tool for evaluating data. Most importantly, though, the rise of probabilistic
and statistical thinking forever changed the way humankind viewed knowledge.
(link)
A First Look at the Second Metamorphosis of Science
by E. Atlee Jackson
Over the past century the character and structure of science has been going
through a second process of fundamental change, with profound implications
concerning the future character of science. (abstract) (view/download full
text pdf)
BOOKS
Experimentation
and measurement,
by W.J. Youden
One of the primary tasks of all explorers – and scientists are explorers – is
to prepare a map of an unknown region. Such a map will serve as a valuable guide
to all subsequent travelers. The measurements made by countless researchers have
been studied by mathematicians and much of the world of measurements has been
mapped out. (pdf)
VIDEOS
Knowledge or Certainty
In Part 11 of The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski discusses the universal
uncertainty of scientific knowledge.
LINKS TO BOOK DESCRIPTIONS
From Certainty to Uncertainty: The Story of Science and Ideas
in the Twentieth Century
by F. David Peat
Science has shown us that knowledge will always be fundamentally
incomplete and that a true understanding of the world is ultimately beyond
our grasp. This new world view has had a profound effect not only on science,
but on art, literature, philosophy, and societal relations. The twenty-first
century now begins with a humble acceptance of uncertainty.
