Get ready for Scott Patterson’s shocking account of the math wizards behind high-frequency trading, which is poised to dangerously alter economies and entire industries in milliseconds. “The Quants” believe that differential calculus, quantum physics, and advanced geometry hold the key to reaping riches from the financial markets. They are responsible for helping create a digitized money-trading machine that shifts billions of dollars around the globe with the click of a mouse. It’s hard to fathom an upper atmosphere of finance in which traders have this level of impact, but it exists. Scott Patterson, Wall Street Journal staff reporter and author of The Quants, tells us how he discovered this universe of transactions, explains the degree of its power to manipulate finances, and identifies the players involved.
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Original air date: 4/16/2010