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Doing The Math On Terrorism

Ramblings

from the we-all-use-math-every-day dept

Mon, Feb 6th 2006 10:43am — Carlo Longino
Maybe somebody's been watching too much CBS on Friday nights: a professor at the University of Wisconsin is using math to try to predict where terrorists might strike. That sounds awfully similar to the show Numb3rs, where a math professor helps his FBI-agent brother solve cases using all sorts of math. But, like the show, this plan seems a little hard to believe, though it did score the prof a government research grant. While some type of mathematics or statistical analysis might be useful to help fight against terrorism, aren't there other efforts that could yield better and more specific results, like improved intelligence? Of course, some people might think that area's already covered.
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12 Comments

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  • identicon
    Stephen Garstin, 6 Feb 2006 @ 12:18pm

    Just an observation.

    Isn't the show actually called "Numb3rs"?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rikko, 6 Feb 2006 @ 12:27pm

    Well I'm glad I read that

    So she's trying to use "science" to do something a sociologist or social anthropologist should be doing? There are no equations or multipliers for how freaked out people get when something happens.

    Media coverage and overly emotional accounts do more than the nature of the actual event.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    STJ, 6 Feb 2006 @ 12:38pm

    No Subject Given

    If someone can get a grant to study why people like coffee houses, why not this? PS can I get a grant to study why people are so stupid as to click on spam?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mountain Man, 6 Feb 2006 @ 12:57pm

    Leave the man alone!

    The important thing to consider here are historical events such as WWII. Things such as cost effective rubber were developed by American scientists that we still use today. Space travel and satellites are another good result of war time ingenuity that now fuel our hunger for global information. We NEED change, we have become lazy and if one person sees a way to solve a problem... by all means let him run with it. If it fails... then we can laugh.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    KingoftheGreensdotCom, 6 Feb 2006 @ 2:17pm

    Intel[ligence]

    It seems so much money, time, and effort is being spent on gathering the most accurate intelligence about terorism yet, when the president receives memo's stating Bin Laden is going to attack, he does nothing.//
    What good is all this if when presented with good intelligence it isn't acted upon? But when we hear the Iraq has WMD's we go to war...sounds like a case of selective hearing...
    Cheers!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Jim Quinn, 6 Feb 2006 @ 2:53pm

      Re: Intel[ligence]

      When did we get attacked by Osama and we were told before hand?I must have missed it,or was that the Cole(clinton),Embassy(clinton),,,,too much tee time for you............

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Clay, 6 Feb 2006 @ 3:05pm

      Re: Intel[ligence]

      Well, since we've been warned again, what exactly shall we do this time to prepare? You seem to have all the answers, I wish we knew about you before all this happened!

      It makes no difference. If Bush had announced that 19 terrorists were about to crash 4 specific flights into 4 specific buildings, you would still think he screwed up.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Johnny, 6 Feb 2006 @ 4:20pm

    Sorry

    I apologize for my University, in the sprit of the administration thinking that they can do anything "just a well" as an ivy league school, some genuinely sensless studies take place in order to appear cutting edge.

    Wow, I just realized that my tuition pays for this guy to pretend to be max from the movie PI. Once again, sorry everyone.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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