Decision Making

ML62: Uri Bram on Thinking Statistically, Understanding Music and How To Learn from Experts

Discover the statistical principles we should all be aware of in our increasingly data driven world, whether understanding musical concepts makes you a better musician and how to learn difficult skills from experts in different fields.

Nasos Papadopoulos

Jun 13, 2017 • 2 min read

Uri Bram is the bestselling author of Thinking Statistically, a book that explains the essential concepts in the field in a clear and simple way. He also consults for major international organisations, and speaks at businesses and non-profits about using data and statistical thinking effectively in the real world.

In a world that’s becoming increasingly driven by big data, understanding statistics is becoming increasingly valuable. But even if you don’t want to become a data scientist, understanding statistics can help you avoid common thinking mistakes and make better decisions in your everyday life.

Uri is someone with a remarkable ability to explain complex ideas in a simple, entertaining way with wit and flair – and he’s not only done this with statistics, but a range of other disciplines including music, game theory and writing.

In this conversation we discuss a range of topics including:

- The key statistical principles that everyone should be aware of
- Whether understanding musical concepts makes you a better musician
- How to learn complex skills from experts in different fields

You’ll also learn how big data is like teenage sex, why Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are bad models for success and why eating ice cream doesn’t necessarily increase your chance of drowning in the summer!

So whether you’re math-phobic and looking to gain a basic understanding of statistics, or already consider yourself a data maverick this conversation will give you useful insights that you can take away and apply to your own life.

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