Magicians, Alchemists, Astrologers, Witches
Preludes of science—
Do you really believe
that the sciences would ever have originated and grown
if the way had not been prepared
by magicians, alchemists, astrologers, and witches
whose promises and pretensions
first had to create a thirst,
a hunger, a taste
for hidden and forbidden powers?
Indeed, infinitely more had to be promised
than could ever be fulfilled
in order that anything at all
might be fulfilled
in the realm of
knowledge.
–excerpt The Gay Science, Book 4, Section 300 by Friedrich Nietzsche
A few of us discussed Big Data, a euphemism for a technique of computerized interrogating of great quantities of data points, employing mathematics, programming rules to detect patterns revealed by life forms simple to complex. …from microorganisms collected by a sieve from a bucket of ocean water to human behavior. I have no doubt that Big Data is used to compile my detailed personal profile combining gender, age, address data with categories of books purchased from Amazon, internet sites visited, even medications purchased online…
When does this data set become information? My guess, — as it is utilized after being sold.
This is a world where massive amounts of data and applied mathematics replace every other tool that might be brought to bear. Out with every theory of human behavior, from linguistics to sociology. Forget taxonomy, ontology, and psychology. Who knows why people do what they do? The point is they do it, and we can track and measure it with unprecedented fidelity. With enough data, the numbers speak for themselves.
—The End of Theory: The Data Deluge Makes the Scientific Method Obsolete, Wired Magazine, by Chris Anderson, June 23, 2008
