The Reinvention of Mathematics: From a Tool of Domination to a Shield of Autonomy in the Algorithmic Era
1. The Numerification of an Ordinary Day
The central premise of this book is based on a concept that Giansiracusa calls "numerification": the process by which our complex human actions are reduced to figures. The author illustrates this with a "day in the life of a number," an experience that is almost universal today. It all starts with the phone alarm, which wakes us up at a specific time, a number that marks the beginning of a day dominated by figures. Upon opening apps like TikTok, a mysterious algorithm decides, based on a secret formula, which videos we will see next, in an endless stream of personalized content.
Numerification extends to social life. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Bluesky, our value is reduced to metrics like "likes," "reposts," and "views." Even our personal importance is compressed into a single number: our followers, a figure that algorithms and other users judge alike. This superficial game of online quantification sidelines personal connections and real impact. Unknowingly, we are all pushed to act as social "influencers," whether we want to or not.
The daily commute is also part of this "numerification." The author reveals that our cars are constantly broadcasting data about our location, speed, braking and acceleration patterns, and even the music we listen to. This information, which can amount to twenty-five gigabytes per hour, is used not only for safety but also to feed a half-trillion-dollar industry that sells our data to insurance companies and other tech firms, turning our "mobile devices" into vehicles for micro-targeted advertising.
2. The Lucrative Market for Personal Data
Today's digital economy is based on an old marketing adage, "know your customers," which has been taken to a disturbing level. The book shows us how this practice manifests in unexpected places like the supermarket. Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., possesses a amount of customer data that exceeds the digital collection of the U.S. Library of Congress by over 50%. This data is not only used to optimize inventory and marketing campaigns, but is also sold to other companies in a lucrative market. Stores like Tesco and Sainsbury's in the UK earn hundreds of millions of pounds a year from selling this data. In essence, these stores not only sell us food, but also the private information they can collect from us.
Google, the most profitable advertising company in the world, gets 80% of its annual revenue from advertising, and its success is based on how much it knows about us. The company tracks what we search for, what we watch on YouTube, what we write in Google Docs and Gmail. All our online actions become fuel for the targeted advertising industry. Even chatbots, which seem like friendly assistants, are actually "data collection machines" that offer their developers an even more intimate algorithmic window into our thoughts and desires.
3. The Reduction of the Individual in the World of Work
In the workplace, numerification is also a dominant force. When we apply for a job, large companies use computer programs to handle the enormous number of applications they receive. These programs rate and rank applicants, once again reducing them to a number. These algorithms are not programmed to maximize humanity, but for efficiency, and they do not provide useful feedback to candidates, leaving them in the dark about which keywords or experiences they should highlight.
Once a job is secured, algorithmic surveillance does not stop. The book highlights how employees, from truckers to office workers, are monitored by apps that track productivity, linking pay, bonuses, and job retention to a list of surreptitiously recorded statistics. Eight of the ten largest private employers in the U.S. use this technology. Some office workers even buy devices to move the mouse cursor to avoid being penalized for "idle time." This extends to all levels, from an investment management firm that rates employees on 77 different measures, to a hospice chaplain who racks up "productivity points" for visiting a dying patient or attending a funeral. The demand for employee monitoring software increased by 65% between 2019 and 2022, and the use of AI to track and predict employee behavior is expected to expand significantly in the coming years.
4. The Crucial Role of Rankings and Their Fallibility
In the chapter "Rethink Rankings," the author challenges our blind faith in the ranking systems that dictate crucial decisions in our lives, such as choosing a university. Giansiracusa explains that university rankings from publications like U.S. News & World Report are not objective evaluations of educational quality, but a collection of numbers that are combined using a weighted sum. This means that each factor (retention rate, graduation rate, reputation, etc.) is assigned a weight, and the sum of these weights determines the university's final position on the list.
The problem, as the author explains, is that this methodology is manipulable. By knowing the factors and weights, universities can "game the system" and alter their metrics to climb the ranking, even if it doesn't necessarily improve the student experience. The book even recounts the scandal of Columbia University, which was forced to withdraw from the ranking after a professor discovered they had misrepresented their data. This example shows that rankings are not the "magic number" we think, but mathematical constructs with an imperfect design that are susceptible to manipulation.
5. Expected Value: A Compass for Navigating Uncertainty
The book dedicates a fundamental chapter to a concept from probability theory: expected value. Giansiracusa demonstrates that this mathematical formula is not just an academic tool, but a powerful compass for making decisions under uncertainty in real life. The author illustrates its use with examples from everyday life, such as gambling, where professional players have used this formula to "beat" casinos and lotteries.
Expected value allows us to calculate the average outcome of a random event, helping us determine if a risk is favorable or not. The book teaches how to apply this logic to situations like job hunting, where the odds can seem daunting. Instead of leaving the outcome to chance, "Robin Hood Math" empowers us to develop an application strategy that takes probabilities into account, reducing the element of luck from the equation. It's a vital lesson for anyone facing decisions with a degree of uncertainty, from investing in a new business to choosing a career.
6. Risk Management and Strategic Diversification
In the chapter "How to Handle Risk," the author introduces us to the concept of covariance, a statistical measure that describes how two variables move together. In finance, covariance is the basis of portfolio diversification: by combining assets that do not move in the same direction (i.e., have low covariance), the overall risk of the portfolio can be reduced without sacrificing returns.
The book expands this idea beyond investments, applying it to personal and professional life. In the age of AI, where automation threatens to eliminate certain jobs, Giansiracusa suggests a strategic diversification of skills and careers. By cultivating a skill set that has low covariance with each other, such as being a programming expert and a skilled communicator, a person can mitigate the risk of becoming obsolete in the job market. In essence, the book teaches us that diversification is not just for investors; it is a risk management principle that we can apply to our own lives to protect ourselves from the volatility of the modern world.
7. The Revelation of the Social Media Formula
In the chapter "The Secret Social Media Formula," the author offers us one of the most powerful tools in the book. Giansiracusa states that by understanding how an algorithm on a platform like TikTok works, we can stop being passive consumers and become strategic creators of our own experience.
The author reveals that the TikTok algorithm, for example, is not an unfathomable mystery. By learning how it escaped the hands of tech giants, the book allows us to use this knowledge to improve our social media experience. The author explains that the algorithm prioritizes certain numbers and metrics. By being aware of this, we can choose our actions more carefully and curate a feed that makes us feel good instead of frustrated or anxious. This allows us to stop being victims of a vicious cycle of junk content and start using the platform for our own purposes.
8. The Fight Against Tech Giants
The book dedicates an entire chapter to how to deal with "Tech Titans." Giansiracusa tells us how digital ads have proliferated on the internet, making it increasingly difficult to find useful information on Google or good deals on Amazon. The work provides us with tactics to combat this "flood of sponsored content," such as using search tools more intelligently to avoid fraudulent recruiter sites that pay Google to appear at the top.
The author also presents ideas for reforming the digital landscape, such as a "progressive ad tax" that redistributes revenue from tech companies to struggling local news publishers, or promoting tools that allow users to support local stores instead of Amazon. This teaches us that the fight against algorithms is not just an individual battle, but also a collective effort that requires rethinking policies and technological tools.
9. The Dehumanization of Life: When the Value of a Life is Just a Number
The darkest aspect of numerification is the tendency to apply figures to intangible concepts, such as health or even the value of a life. Giansiracusa shows us that even in medical situations, we are reduced to numbers: health insurance companies plug us into their formulas to calculate premiums and payments. Hospital managers use formulas to decide on staff size and triage nurses use a points system to determine our place in the line of an emergency room. Even to receive an organ, algorithms classify us to decide who will get it next.
The author goes even further by revealing how government agencies like FEMA and the EPA have assigned a "statistical value of life" to people. The book points to a controversial case where the EPA adjusted the value of a life based on per capita income, assigning a value ten times higher to a person in Germany than to one in Ghana. This is one of the most impactful lessons of the book: by treating people as numbers, power can optimize and profit with unprecedented scale and success, even if it means perpetuating inequality and stripping the individual of humanity.
10. Reclaiming Mathematics: A Shield of Personal Autonomy
The central message of the book is that, to regain our humanity and autonomy, we must reclaim the mathematical tools that are used to manipulate us. Giansiracusa demystifies mathematics, breaking down the myth that it is only for geniuses and prodigies. He argues that we do not need to be algebra experts to reap the benefits of mathematics, but we need it to be presented to us in a new and inclusive way.
The author calls this new way of thinking about mathematics "Robin Hood Math" because, like the legendary character, it takes the power of math from the rich (data experts and tech titans) and gives it to the poor (the common people). This approach does not seek to completely eliminate the "numerification" of society, but it does seek to close the gap between those who have quantitative knowledge and those who do not. The book demonstrates that by understanding the underlying mathematical principles, we can resist manipulations, make more thoughtful decisions, and ultimately live a more conscious and free life in the age of algorithms.
About the Author
The author of this provocative book is Noah Giansiracusa, an academic with a deep knowledge of mathematics and data science. Giansiracusa is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Bentley University, a business school located near Boston. He earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Brown University. His work is not limited to academia; he is also a visiting scholar at Harvard University. His experience extends to writing for high-profile publications such as Scientific American, TIME, WIRED, Slate, and The Washington Post. In addition, Giansiracusa has been featured as a guest on CNN and BBC Radio 4. His first book, "How Algorithms Create and Prevent Fake News," had already explored the intersection of technology and online information. In "Robin Hood Math," Giansiracusa continues his mission to "democratize" mathematical knowledge so that people can take control of their digital lives.
Conclusion
The central premise of "Robin Hood Math" is a crucial wake-up call for contemporary society. We live in a world where our identity, our value, and our opportunities are increasingly defined by a series of numbers generated and manipulated by opaque algorithms. From how we consume content on social media to how we are evaluated at work and school, "numerification" is an omnipresent force that, in the hands of a few, serves to optimize profits at the expense of individual humanity. However, Giansiracusa offers us a powerful countermeasure. By demystifying mathematics and presenting key concepts of statistics and probability in an accessible way, he gives us the tools to understand, resist, and ultimately use these same forces to our advantage. Mathematics does not have to be a tool of oppression; it can be a shield of autonomy and a sword of empowerment.
Why Read This Book?
There are several compelling reasons for anyone in today's society to read this book:
To Understand the Digital World: The book unravels the mystery behind the algorithms that dictate what we see, read, and experience online. It is a guide to understanding how the internet and social media actually work.
To Make Smarter Decisions: With concepts like expected value and risk management, the book equips us to make more informed decisions in our personal and professional lives, from job hunting to choosing a career.
To Regain Autonomy: The work is a manual for empowerment. It teaches us that we don't have to be passive victims of technology, but can use mathematical knowledge to manipulate algorithms and shape our online experience for our own benefit.
To Close a Crucial Gap: The author seeks to democratize mathematics, making its benefits accessible to everyone. By reading this book, you can close the gap between those who understand quantitative tools and those who do not.
For its Social Relevance: The book addresses topics of great social importance, such as data manipulation, privacy, job automation, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
In short, "Robin Hood Math" is essential reading for anyone who wants to live more consciously and strategically in an age dominated by data and algorithms.
Glossary of Terms
Numerification: The process by which complex human acts are reduced to figures and quantitative data.
Algorithm: A set of rules or instructions that a computer follows to solve a problem or perform a task, such as determining which videos to show in a TikTok feed.
Expected Value: A concept from probability theory that calculates the average outcome of a random event. It is useful for making decisions under uncertainty.
Weighted Sum: A mathematical formula in which each component (number) is assigned a different weight, and the sum of these weighted components results in a final number, such as the ranking of a university.
Covariance: A statistical measure that describes how two variables move together. It is fundamental to the concept of diversification, whether in finance or in personal life.
Robin Hood Math: The central concept of the book, which proposes the democratization of the power of mathematics, taking its tools from experts and giving them to ordinary people so they can regain control of their lives.
Micro-targeting: A marketing strategy that uses detailed data to target ads to very specific audience segments.
Z-score: A statistical measure that indicates the difference of a score from the mean of a group, in units of standard deviation. It is used in the book to explain how metrics are evaluated in rankings.
Productivity Points: A metric used by companies to quantify and monitor employee performance, linking their salaries and bonuses to a list of recorded statistics.
Statistical Value of Life: A number assigned by government agencies like the EPA or FEMA to estimate the economic value of a life, often for cost-benefit analysis in public policy
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario