How many of us have ever shouted with joy or screamed in agony while watching our favorite sports team in a tournament? And how many of us, when faced with a complex situation, have opted to simplify things and take the least complicated course of action? These scenarios seem common enough, but what I bet you didn’t realize was phantom working behind the scenes the whole time: Algorithms.
Algorithms are a part of our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not, and Dr. Tom Griffiths and Brian Christian shed light on this idea in their new book Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions. PNM reporter Jake Walters got the opportunity to speak with Dr. Griffiths earlier this month and it proved to be quite an interesting conversation. Hope you enjoy!