Painting with Numbers - Lucky Numbers

with Marcus du Sautoy

In this programme, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy combines visual demonstrations with his unique gift for explanation to reveal the many benefits of understanding maths. According to Marcus - a professor of mathematics at Oxford University - maths can help us choose the best cat food, pick winning lottery numbers and fight back against advertisers who use statistics to sell us their products. He explores the bizarre nature of causation and demonstrates how, though two events might be linked, one does not necessarily cause the other. Finally, Marcus talks to Professor Philip Dawid about how juries could benefit from an understanding of statistics when evaluating scientific evidence. He explains how maths in the courtroom can mean the difference between freedom and lifetime imprisonment.