Seeing Theory
Brown University's visual introduction to probability and statistics, one animated chapter per concept.
Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.
How to get the most from it
Seeing Theory sits in Interactive Explainers under Learn, filed as coffee break.
- Set aside five to fifteen minutes and give it your proper attention.
- Use a laptop or desktop computer — we file it as desktop only.
- It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
- No account needed — you can start without signing up.
- Go in expecting something brainy and beautiful.
About this category: Explainers that use motion, interaction and scrolling to teach what a paragraph never could. The clearest teaching on the internet lives here.
Good for
- Filling a coffee break properly
- Giving your brain a workout
- Looking at something lovely
- A quiet break at your desk
- Trying it with zero commitment
Seeing Theory: quick answers
Is Seeing Theory free?
Yes. Seeing Theory is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account to use Seeing Theory?
No. You can use Seeing Theory without signing up for anything.
Does Seeing Theory work on a phone?
Not well. We file Seeing Theory as desktop only, so open it on a laptop or desktop computer.
Is Seeing Theory safe for work?
Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.
How long does Seeing Theory take?
We file it as "Coffee break": Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention.
More in Interactive Explainers
All 15 in Interactive ExplainersShort visual explanations of statistics ideas — eigenvectors, conditional probability, Markov chains — all draggable.
- 10 min
- Desktop
Jay Alammar's diagram-by-diagram walkthrough of the architecture underneath every modern language model.
- 10 min
- Desktop
Visual essays answering questions nobody commissioned, like which pop lyricists have the largest working vocabulary.
Very long illustrated essays on artificial intelligence, procrastination and the Fermi paradox, drawn in deliberately bad stick figures.
Same mood: brainy
All brainy sitesThe original semantic-distance guessing game, noticeably harder than its descendants and considerably more humbling.
- 10 min
Word association against a neural net: type anything related to the highlighted block and it clears. Built by Google's research team.
- 10 min
Raw Sentinel and Landsat imagery for anywhere on the planet, free, with band combinations that reveal crops, floods and old burn scars.
- 10 min
- Desktop
Recipes that explain the science first and then tell you what to do. The food-lab pieces are why it has the reputation it has.
- 1 hr+
Keep exploring
Category
Time and mood
Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.