{"product_id":"9780415938587-anthropic-bias","title":"Anthropic Bias","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eObservation Selection Effects in Science and Philosophy\u003cbr\u003eThis book breaks new ground by drawing attention to certain kinds of biases that permeate many parts of science and by developing a theory of how to correct for these biases.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnthropic Bias\u003c\/em\u003e explores how to reason when you suspect that your evidence is biased by \"observation selection effects\"--that is, evidence that has been filtered by the precondition that there be some suitably positioned observer to \"have\" the evidence. This conundrum--sometimes alluded to as \"the anthropic principle,\" \"self-locating belief,\" or \"indexical information\"--turns out to be a surprisingly perplexing and intellectually stimulating challenge, one abounding with important implications for many areas in science and philosophy. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are the philosophical thought experiments and paradoxes: the Doomsday Argument; Sleeping Beauty; the Presumptuous Philosopher; Adam \u0026amp; Eve; the Absent-Minded Driver; the Shooting Room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd there are the applications in contemporary science: cosmology (\"How many universes are there?\", \"Why does the universe appear fine-tuned for life?\"); evolutionary theory (\"How improbable was the evolution of intelligent life on our planet?\"); the problem of time's arrow (\"Can it be given a thermodynamic explanation?\"); quantum physics (\"How can the many-worlds theory be tested?\"); game-theory problems with imperfect recall (\"How to model them?\"); even traffic analysis (\"Why is the 'next lane' faster?\").\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnthropic Bias\u003c\/em\u003e argues that the same principles are at work across all these domains. And it offers a synthesis: a mathematically explicit theory of observation selection effects that attempts to meet scientific needs while steering clear of philosophical paradox.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56517579997558,"sku":"9780415938587","price":205.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_37475457_bee1c079-21af-4e49-8400-0b37f062b48b.jpg?v=1762074434","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780415938587-anthropic-bias","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}