Calling Bullshit 5.1: Big Data

We briefly introduce big data and the cautionary tales surrounding this recent phenomenon and to be aware of those ponies…
April 26, 2017
Course: INFO 198 / BIOL 106B. University of Washington
Instructors: Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin West
Synopsis: Our world is saturated with bullshit. Learn to detect and defuse it.
The course will be offered as a 1-credit seminar this spring through the Information School at the University of Washington. We aim to expand it to a 3 or 4 credit course for 2017-2018. For those who cannot attend in person, we aim to videotape the lectures this spring and make video clips freely available on the web.
callingbullshit.org
/ callin_bull
callinBS
[e-mail]
Information School ischool.uw.edu/
Department of Biology www.biology.washington.edu/
Video edited by Bum Mook Oh
Music by Chris Zabriskie: Prelude No.7

[@yesmsg429]

When I was learning Russian, my self study book had the phrase: My father was killed by a tiger. WTH? However, 25 years later it is the one Russian phrase I remember, and can even spell. So your pony metaphor was excellent. Having worked in Big Data, I will use that for sure (with attribution Carl)

[@SwapperTheFirst]

О, мой отец был убит тигром. Запомню на ближайшие 25 лет. Хотя, конечно, пример с "существенно большой кучей навоза и пони" - еще лучше. Это я запомню уже до конца жизни! Великолепно, Карл!

[@havenbastion]

Science is rigor and having a lot of data is useless without it. Also, the practical application of the group dynamics that big data provides insight to is nothing to do with big data.

[@owlnyc666]

Is Big Data solely quantitative? And how about qualitative data?

[@owlnyc666]

Humans are not bias free, are fallible, take in garbage and out put garbage, and have ethical algorithms 🤔😉😁😥

[@user-vi2hc8yl8d]

Well, qualitative data needs to be quantified to proceed for data analysis anyway