10 TED Talks that will inspire you to learn Big Data Analytics in 2018
No matter which sphere of the business world you are in, chances are, you would have heard of the term — ‘Big Data.’ Over the past few years, Big Data has become the most important buzzword for almost every industry. Business professionals, tech experts, digital artists, are all making use of the big data that is floating all around us in countless streams.
Big Data has changed the entire landscape of our existence. Your tastes and preferences are now shreds of information embedded in numerical values. And all that data is only proliferating more and more. Very soon, information is going to be at our disposal like never before. Working professionals need to be prepared for this Big Data Boost.
TED is the go-to platform if you want to start learning the intricacies and implications of Big Data, or just get a peek into the spectacular world of Big Data Analytics. In this article, we have comprised a comprehensive list of the TED Talks that provide a detailed and expertized view into the various domains of Big Data Science.
1. Make Data More Human by Jer Thorp
In this hilarious and engaging TED Talk, Jer Thorp talks about ‘two of the most interesting things: Data and History.’ He talks about how we can use single pieces of information and build narratives from it.
Thorp believes that in the process of creating history, these Big Data sets will play a vital role. He says that the only way to give true meaning to large data sets is to humanize them. To create exploratory stories out of it.
He uses the example of the 9/11 memorial where the names of the victims are not laid out in a chronological or an alphabetical order. Instead, ‘they are laid out in a way in which the relationships between the people who were killed are embodied in the memorial.’ He puts special emphasis on this example, as it is the central idea of his TED Talk. To see Big Data in a human context, rather than reading them like strands of numerical information.
Why we recommend this: It is generally believed that Data is limited to numerical values. They are but mere pieces of information. Jer Thorp argues against it. He talks about how Big Data is imperative to tell out stories — and to create history.
2. Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System by Keren Elazari
“Sometimes, you have to demo a threat to spark a solution.”
- Barnaby Jack
In this TED Talk, Keren Elazari talks about one of the most important facets of Big Data — Data Breaching/Hacking. She begins her TED Talk by talking about a real incident where Barnaby Jack hacked an ATM system ‘to literally throw money at him.’ He did it to demonstrate how easy it is to breach even the most sophisticated Data. She uses this incident as an example to show why we need ethical Data breachers to render complex Big Data solutions.
She asserts that ironically, it is the hackers who will prevent large-scale data breaching. Data breaching happens all the time. It is happening right now, and it will only get worse with time. In a scenario like this, Elazari believes that only hackers can save us. They can show where we went wrong with the prevention of our Big Data, and help us find solutions.
Why we recommend this: Keren Elazari’s aim in this TED talk is to change the perception we have towards ‘hackers.’ And she does a pretty good job at that. After watching this TED Talk, you will realize how ‘they are the real superstars.’
3. What Do We Do With All This Big Data by Susan Etlinger
In this highly personal and inspiring TED Talk, Susan Etlinger talks about the challenges of interpreting Big Data. Using examples of anti-smoking campaigns that were created out of big data interpretation, she shows us how complicated, messy, yet extremely beautiful the process of Data interpretation actually is.
“Facts are stubborn things…but sometimes, they are stupid too,” Etlinger makes this strong remark before telling the audience about how data was wrongly interpreted during her son’s bout with Autism. She believes that the major problem with big data interpretation happens when one metric is undervalued in relation to another metric.
She concludes by talking about how important critical thinking is while interpreting big data.
Why we recommend this: Big data is inherently meaningless if not interpreted correctly. This is exactly what Etlinger discusses in this TED Talk. The personal tone she uses in her talk, and the coherence of her argument really drive her point home. The question that she raises is a vital one: what do we do with all this Big Data?
4. How We Found The Worst Place To Park In New York City — Using Big Data by Ben Wellington
The central idea behind this TED Talk is to show that even the laymen can use big data to their advantage. The idea itself is what makes this TED Talk a must-watch! Ben Wellington talks about how there is enough Data all around us, all we need is the eye to spot it and the ability to read it. He believes that we can solve all our regular-life problems using Big Data Analysis. He uses several examples to demonstrate that Big Data analysis can drastically change our lives for the better.
Why We Recommend this: Big Data is for all. Not just the business folks and the Tech Geeks. This TED Talk does an exceptional job in cementing this point. This talk is as inspiring as it is useful. Highly recommended for people who have just begun gaining knowledge about Big Data Science.
5. How Algorithms Shape Our World by Kevin Slavin
Kevin Slavin’s central argument in this TED Talk is that algorithms have ‘changed from something that we extract from the world to something that begins to shape it.’ Slavin starts his TED Talk straight off the bat by showing an artwork of Mount Aconcagua from the summit created by Michael Najjar. This artwork had been altered to portray the Dow Jones stock market over 20 years.
Kevin Slavin argues that this metaphorical representation of algorithm through nature has a lot of truth in it. For the next 15 minutes, he will convince you, that big data science, especially algorithm, will change the very landscape of our existence.
Why we recommend this: As is aptly put in the title, this TED Talk is about how algorithms will shape our world. This TED Talk is a prophecy based on scientific evidence. A must watch for everyone, — most-of-all, Big Data Analysts.
6. A Magna Carta for the Web by Tim Berners-Lee
The world is connected by two very important things — data and the internet. Tim Berners-Lee, who was the very first user of the Internet talks about the legal side of both big data and internet. He discusses the importance of net neutrality and protecting the big data that is around us in abundance. To protect both these vitalities, he proposes the idea of a Bill of Rights for the Internet which gives people data rights protected by the Law.
Why we recommend this: This TED Talk is extremely important as it shows a different side of the big data world: the legal side. Highly recommended for people looking to become Legal experts in Big Data Analytics.
7. How Juries Are Fooled By Statistics by Peter Donnelly
This is another TED Talk about the fault in Data Interpretation akin to the one by Susan Etlinger. However, this one comes from a Data skeptic who is questioning the very nature of big data interpretation. Peter Donnelly bases his argument on a tragic real-life incident where statistics fooled the jury to take a wrong verdict in an infant death case. The argument proposed by both Etlinger and Donnelly are the same — that big data and statistics should always be viewed in a context. Donnelly believes that context is what separates the truth from mere facts.
Why we recommend this: Just like everything, Big Data also has two sides to the coin. This is the reason why knowing a skeptic’s view on the topic is important is to gaining proper knowledge about Big Data Analytics.
8. The Era of Blind Faith in Big Data Must End by Cathy O’Neil
While we’re talking about two sides of the same coin, here’s another one by a bonafide big data skeptic. Cathy O’Neil is a mathematician who coined the famous term, ‘Weapons of Math destruction.’ In this TED Talk, she discusses the role of ethics and morality in big data interpretation. She talks about how we are sorted into ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ based on secret algorithms. Her central question is — ‘what if the algorithms are wrong?’
For the rest of the TED Talk, she explains her points through sound arguments and a strong sense of authority.
Why we recommend this: To understand Big Data, a TED Talk that negates the very foundation of Big Data Analysis is an imperative.
9. Data Overload: Rising the Information Generation by Reuben Vandeventer
In this TED Talk, Reuben Vandeventer talks about how Data is transforming both the business and our society in general. This one is a highly enthusiastic piece, brimming with passion about Big Data Science and its importance in our everyday lives. Although this talk is particularly meant for students looking to learn about big data in general, even business people can gain a lot of insight into the big data world.
Why We Recommend this: This is the perfect TED Talk for new learners out there. Rueben talk about all the general facets of big data, and he does it in a way that it captivating and inspiring.
10. Solving Social Problems With A Nudge by Sendhil Mullainathan
Is information alone enough to solve your problems? How do you get desired results from mere pieces of information? In this informative TED Talk, Sendhil Mullainathan talks about one of the most important aspects of big data — that is, getting practical results based on relevant data. Data alone is not enough. Information does not ensure actual change. Then, how do we get results out of big data? That is what this 30 minute talk is about.
Why we recommend this: This TED Talk is perfect for marketing professionals who are clueless about what to do with all the data they have at their disposal. By the end of this talk, you will certainly know how to bring a substantive change using big data.
Conclusion
Big Data is, unarguably, the ‘big’ thing in town at the moment. Even if you wanted to, you cannot ignore it. Everything from your job interviews to your healthcare is modulated by the help of big data analysis. Therefore, learning the intricacies of big data science is almost a necessity. After you’ve been through these 10 TED Talks, you would have a fair share as to what big data actually is, and to what extent it can bring about a change in our societies.
