What is Big Data?
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You hear the word data every day. Businesses use data to sell products, towns need data to plan for the future, and scientists create data in their experiments, for example. But what is data?
Data is a collection of small bits of information. It's what we know and can measure about the world. Data has been around since people could count and write down their observations, which means we've been creating and using data for many centuries.
For example, when the ancient Romans wanted to tax the people in the Roman Empire, they used data! By counting all the people in the Roman Empire, the ancient Roman government obtained the data needed for its tax plan.
Since the introduction of the computer, data has been accumulating at an incredible pace. Today, the world holds a vast amount of digital data and information, and it's growing every second!
There is data about how people spend their money, where people go, and what music they play. We've become smarter at using this data to understand patterns, predict outcomes, and make better decisions.
Essential Question
How can big data help us understand and predict the world around us?
Truth, risk, and trust in the data era
We distinguish truth from fiction by tracing claims back to evidence: sources, measurements, methods, and reproducible results. That discipline also helps avoid reckless technology rollouts, like when early large language models in 2022 were released too quickly and produced hallucinations (for example, stories about someone walking across the English Channel).
Misinformation is false or misleading information shared without intent to deceive. Disinformation is false information shared deliberately to mislead. When both flood the public space, people stop believing anything, which is the same trust collapse warned about in the "boy who cried wolf" story.
Big data is transforming industries and creating new opportunities for those who can harness its power. From healthcare to finance, from retail to government, understanding big data is essential for the future.