The Math of Love 1/4 - 懂你英语 流利说 Level8 Unit1 Part1
Today I want to talk to you about the mathematics of love.
Now, I think that we can all agree that mathematicians are famously excellent at finding love.
But it's not just because of our dashing personalities, superior conversational skills and excellent pencil cases.
It's also because we've actually done an awful lot of work into the math of how to find the perfect partner.
Now, in my favorite paper on the subject, which is entitled, "Why I Don't Have a Girlfriend" -- Peter Backus tries to rate his chances of finding love.
Now, Peter's not a very greedy man.
Of all of the available women in the U.K., all Peter's looking for is
somebody who lives near him,
somebody in the right age range,
somebody with a university degree,
somebody he's likely to get on well with,
somebody who's likely to be attractive,
somebody who's likely to find him attractive.
And comes up with an estimate of 26 women in the whole of the UK.
It's not looking very good, is it Peter?
Now, just to put that into perspective, that's about 400 times fewer than the best estimates of how many intelligent extraterrestrial life forms there are.
it also gives Peter a 1 in 285,000 chance of bumping into any one of these special ladies on a given night out.
I'd like to think that's why mathematicians don't really bother going on nights out anymore.
But the thing is that I personally don't subscribe to such a pessimistic view.
Because I know, just as well as all of you do, that love doesn't really work like that.
Human emotion isn't neatly ordered and rational and easily predictable.
But I also know that that doesn't mean that mathematics hasn't got something that it can offer us.
Because, love, as with most of life, is full of patterns and mathematics is, ultimately, all about the study of patterns.
Patterns from predicting the weather to the fluctuations in the stock market, to the movement of the planets or the growth of cities.
And if we're being honest, none of those things are exactly neatly ordered and easily predictable, either.
Because I believe that mathematics is so powerful that it has the potential to offer us a new way of looking at almost anything.
Even something as mysterious as love.
And so, to try to persuade you of how totally amazing, excellent and relevant mathematics is, I want to give you my top three mathematically verifiable tips for love.
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In what sense is Peter Backus’ view of love? It presents love as something completely predictable.
What does Fry show by comparing love to other patterns? Math can be used to measure things that aren't predictable.
What is the conclusion of Peter Backus’ paper? The odds of him finding love are low.
Which of the following describes Fry’s goal in giving the talk? To instill the audience with a deeper appreciation for math.
Why does Fry introduce Peter Backus's paper? To contrast her view that love isn't completely logical.
Why is it possible to use math to learn about love? Love is full of patterns.
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An extraterrestrial life form...comes from somewhere other than the Earth.
If something is dashing, they are…attractive and confident.
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1. Today I want to talk to you about the mathematics of love.
2. Now, I think that we can all agree that mathematicians are famously excellent at finding love.
3. But it's not just because of our dashing personalities, superior conversational skills and excellent pencil cases.
4. It's also because we've actually done an awful lot of work into the maths of how to find the perfect partner.
*
I believe that mathematics is so powerful that it has the potential to offer us a new way of looking at almost anything.
*
Human emotion isn't neatly ordered and rational and easily predictable.
I'd like to think that's why mathematicians don't really bother going on nights out anymore.
It's because we've done a lot of work into the maths of how to find the perfect partner.
Now, I think that we can all agree that mathematicians are famously excellent at finding love.
*
It gives Peter a 1 in 285,000 chance of bumping into any one of these special ladies on a given night out.
Just to put that into perspective, that's about 400 times fewer than the best estimates of how many intelligent extraterrestrial life forms there are.
