Kavita Ramanan, Professor of Applied Mathematics, uses randomness as a powerful tool to make predictions about complex systems. These systems range from statistical physics to communication networks which exist in the world around us. The tool of randomness can even help to determine the spread of infectious diseases. Ramanan states that in our world randomness shows itself as an incomplete understanding of complex systems. However, randomness can enable, even those things which might be computationally impossible, useful predictions about things that are not fully understood.