Big data

Does a successful Brexit vote mean the end of democracy? Why are airlines overbooking, and why are banks so often wrong? How did big data enable Netflix to predict outcomes, CERN to discover the Higgs boson, and doctors to discover how healthy red wine is? And how are companies using big data to leverage smart meters, use ads that spy on you, and develop the gig economy, where workers are managed according to the whims of an algorithm? The scale of data we now have access to could enable unparalleled capabilities for prediction, responding to customer demands, and solving problems. But the shadow of Big Brother looms large. While big data liberates us and improves our lives, it could also create an underclass and an authoritarian state. With big data ever present, it cannot be ignored. Renowned science writer Brian Clegg—an early adopter of the new technology (and the creator of the second-ever version of Windows in the UK)—is working to bring big data to life.