Computers routinely handle complicated problems in the modern world, but the rise of algorithms in financial markets may have given investors a false sense of precision and certainty. It's not a new problem. Taking a historical perspective, Grant points to Alfred Marshall, who pioneered modern mathematical economics at the turn of the 20th century. Even then, Marshall warned that excessive reliance on mathematics could distort economists' perceptions. That danger has gotten worse with computerization, which provides ever greater precision without necessarily increasing accuracy; a wrong answer looks much more convincing when carried out to ten decimal places, but it's still a wrong answer.