Speaker 
Joe Blitzstein (Harvard Statistics Department)

Abstract
Probability blends together intuitive and counter-intuitive 
results so seamlessly that blunders are extremely common. 
We will discuss and categorize mistakes which have been 
ensnaring people for centuries, from Newton to the beginning 
student. Among others, we will discuss notational inflexibility, 
destroying information, not distinguishing distinguishability and 
indistinguishability, and "sympathetic magic". Of course, it is not 
enough just to point out these mistakes, but neither is it enough 
just to try to avoid these mistakes! Fully coming to terms with 
them (both why they are mistakes and why they are common), 
rather than ignoring them or rationalizing them away with 
formalisms, often points the way towards deeper insights into 
probability and statistics. 

Time Dinner 6:30 - 7:00pm. Lecture at 7:00pm

Location
The Kotzen Room which is in the  
basement of the Library Tower 
(close to the Ave. Louis Pasteur entrance to the Library). 
Visitors should enter the garage from the Avenue Louis Pasteur 
driveway. They will have to take, and keep, a ticket to enter
the garage. Bob Goldman will provide everybody with a ticket 
at the event which will enable them to exit the garage.

To register by check, include the check made payable to BCASA, your name, affiliation, and mail by March 20 to:

Huichao Chen, PhD
Department of Biostatistics/CBAR
Harvard University
651 Huntington Ave, FXB502
Boston, MA 02115