Big Data

Since Aristotle, we have fought to understand the causes behind everything. But this ideology is fading. The world of big data can crunch an incomprehensible amount of information - giving us results we can't dispute, so we're no longer compelled to try and understand them. Correlation is starting to replace causality.
And with this will come many incredible benefits. We're already enjoying a few: utilising search engine results to identify a flu outbreak; using comparison websites; monitoring social media in order to identify trends and opportunities. Moving away from our reliance on absolute understanding will free us to see and make connections that we never thought existed. But it also has its downsides. In an age of big data, will it be machines, not people, which make the decisions? How do you regulate an algorithm? And when statistics and human freedom will clash, which will win out? In this ground-breaking and fascinating book, two of the world's most-admired data experts reveal the reality of a big data world and outline clear and actionable steps that will equip the reader with the tools needed for this next phase of human evolution.