‘Educated’ guesses
PORWAY. Hosts “Numbers Game.”
A few months ago, the National Geographic channel delighted viewers with its innovative series, “The Science of Stupid,” hosted by “our” Ramon Bautista, whose goony projection was perfect for the program’s “off the wall” format.
What a fun way to learn about scientific principles in unexpectedly edgy application!
After that series ended, we hoped that NGC would come up with another show that would also combine information with entertainment in a really bracing way. —Well, this must be our lucky year, because the channel has just launched a 12-part series that does exactly that. Titled “The Numbers Game,” the limited series hosted by Jake Porway teaches viewers, in a very diverting way, to use statistics for their own, practical benefit.
For instance, a recent telecast gave out valuable pointers on how to beat the odds when it comes to making educated guesses on how the majority of people would react in certain situations. To illustrate, an actor was made to fall in front of a group of people and pretend to be unconscious. How long before somebody would get up to help him in his obvious time of need? And, what were some of the factors that would make some people decide to help him sooner than the others?
It was pointed out that people in large groups tended to act later than smaller groups or individuals. Why so? There is the inhibiting “waiting for somebody else to move first” factor, a very understandable human trait.
Specifically, the show pointed out that the ability of a few people to go against this general tendency is a clear identifying marker for the heroic impulse at work—which only a few people instinctively possess—which further explains why we have so few “natural” heroes in our midst!
As this example shows, the program starts with indicative and illustrative statistics, but quickly prescinds from them and goes into psychological data that encourages more in-depth understanding of the principle or instinct being discussed. The fact that humor plays a big part in the show, and its host is a nerdish “everyman” sort of chap add to the program’s accessibility and appeal.
