13. Description of the core message of your event and key topics to be covered (c.100 words):
Understanding if events are random or have some underlying structure is a fascinating area of mathematics, filled with great discoveries.
In the short run, chance may seem to be volatile and unfair. Considering the misconceptions, inconsistencies, paradoxes and counter intuitive aspects of probability, it is not a surprise that as a civilization it has taken us a long time to develop some methods to deal with this. In antiquity, chance mechanisms, such as coins, dice and cards were used for decision making and there was a strong belief in the fact that God or Gods controlled the outcome. Even today, some people see chance outcomes as fate or destiny – “that which was meant to be”
Could it be synchronicity that we will all end up in the venue?
16. How does your event relate to this year's theme of 'Making waves'?:
The show looks at chance and seemly random events, "making waves" in the public understanding about what is and is not chance.
Starting with simple number patterns, moving through the show to probability, random walks and a "hands on" application of Markov Chains.
