If you’re curious about how things work, this fun and intriguing guide will help you find real answers to everyday problems. By using fundamental math and doing simple programming with the Ruby and R languages, you’ll learn how to model a problem and work toward a solution.

All you need is a basic understanding of programming. After a quick introduction to Ruby and R, you’ll explore a wide range of questions by learning how to assemble, process, simulate, and analyze the available data. You’ll learn to see everyday things in a different perspective through simple programs and common sense logic. Once you finish this book, you can begin your own journey of exploration and discovery.

Here are some of the questions you’ll explore:

• Determine how many restroom stalls can accommodate an office with 70 employees
• Mine your email to understand your particular emailing habits
• Use simple audio and video recording devices to calculate your heart rate
• Create an artificial society—and analyze its behavioral patterns to learn how specific factors affect our real society