Perplexing Paradoxes Unraveling Enigmas in the World Around Us

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Clothing Size Conversion Chart
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S 46 36 34-36 28-30 35-37
M 48 38 38-40 32-34 39-41
L 50 40 42-44 36-38 43-45
XL 52 42 46-48 40-42 47-49
Women XS 32 6 31-32 24-25 33-34
S 34 8 33-34 26-27 35-36
M 36 10 35-36 28-29 37-38
L 38-40 12-14 37-39 30-32 39-41
XL 42 16 40-42 33-35 42-44
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Pants Size Conversion Chart
CategoryUSEUUKWaist (in)Hip (in)Inseam (in)
Men284428283430
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324832323832
345034344033
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Women0324243430
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Shoes Size Conversion Chart
CategoryUSEUUKFoot Length (in)
Men6395.59.25
7406.59.625
8417.510
9428.510.25
10439.510.625
114410.511
124511.511.25
134612.511.625
Women5352.58.5
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9396.510
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M (Unisex)5374.58.75
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Description

Why does it always seem like the elevator is going down when you need to go up? Is it really true that 0.99999 . . . with an infinite number of 9s after the decimal point, is equal to 1? What do tea leaves and river erosion have in common, per Albert Einstein? Does seeing a bed of red flowers help prove that all ravens are black? Can we make sense of a phrase like “this statement is unprovable”?

Exploring these questions and many more, George G. Szpiro guides readers through the puzzling world of paradoxes, from Socratic dialogues to the Monty Hall problem. Perplexing Paradoxes presents sixty counterintuitive conundrums drawn from diverse areas of thought–not only mathematics, statistics, logic, and philosophy but also social science, physics, politics, and religion. Szpiro offers a brisk history of each paradox, unpacks its inner workings, and considers where one might encounter it in daily life. Ultimately, he argues, paradoxes are not simple brain teasers or abstruse word games–they challenge us to hone our reasoning and become more alert to the flaws in received wisdom and common habits of thought.

Lighthearted, witty, and conversational, Perplexing Paradoxes presents sophisticated material in an accessible way for all readers interested in the world’s boundless possibilities–and impossibilities.