The Birth of Adam Smith
As of the 23rd May 2022 this website is archived and will receive no further updates.
understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.
Many of the animations were produced using Flash and will no longer work.
Our first child was born at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, on 30th November 1970. For no particular reason, other than we liked the name, we called him Adam (Smith). Over the next month or so, I came across an article or a book review about the 18th century economist and philosopher, Adam Smith. Although I knew about him, I knew very little detail about his economic theory or philosophical ideas, and decided that under the circumstances, perhaps I should familiarise myself with his work. I was a member of Marylebone Library at the time (convenient, working at St Mary's Hospital), and I guess some time in December 1970 or early in 1971, I took out a copy of "The Wealth of Nations". It was a fairly new Penguin edition, the cover of which had been laminated. It had been taken out by one previous reader - on 30th November 1970! - a coincidence which has amused us, Adam and our friends over the years. I was reminded of it while listening to your session on "The Life Scientific" last week.
Date submitted:Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:14:27 +0000Coincidence ID:7100
