Public speaking strikes fear in many. But for business leaders, communicating with the public is an unavoidable and essential part of the job.

Since 2012, IDDEAS@Wharton has been a pathway for undergraduate students of all backgrounds to enter the world of business research.

Humans have been trying to predict the future since the beginning of time. From the ancient Greeks consulting the Oracle of Delphi to kings from the Shang Dynasty turning to oracle bones, people have tried to predict everything from the weather to success on the battlefield.In these initial forecasts people used their judgement and previous experiences to observe trends and patterns, which made their reliability difficult to assess and reproduce.