Guest: Leonard Mlodinow.

Are we really able to judge the world as we see it? Today on Focus, author Leonard Mlodinow joins the show to demonstrate how our lives are deeply affected by randomness, and how every statistic in our lives may be less reliable than we think. He'll also discuss how we can look past these illusions and make more informed decisions in our daily lives.

Guest: Sir John Meurig Thomas.

You might expect scientists to have a good idea of where their research will lead—but in fact, says Sir John Meurig Thomas, they are no better than the general public at seeing into the future. Today on Focus, the Cambridge University professor will give us examples of scientific unpredictability in his own field, chemistry, as well as physics, medicine, and biology.

Guest: Stuart Kauffman.

Our guest today on Focus has become well known for arguing that the laws of complexity in science generate much of the order in the natural world. He says that in his studies of philosophy, medicine, and biology, it is often the most complex and apparently random systems that show spontaneous order. It's a factor at least as important as Darwinian natural selection in producing the life we see all around us. Physician and science writer Stuart Kauffman joins us today to discuss this and more.