Unlocking Mysteries

The profound shift of Big Data has everyone, from brands to governments to individuals, reconsidering how and when to use this newly accessible information.

In other words, Big Data is turning into deep knowledge. A revolution is occurring in neuroscience, where scientists are working on understanding the human brain’s way of computing and processing information. This knowledge could be applied to technology, making the artificial intelligence in the movie Her a true possibility. Roughly 68 percent of the dark matter in the universe that scientists can’t see, is now capable of being analyzed,according to NASA — a literal expansion of our horizons. On a more personal level, technology brands are now tackling health challenges with data. A new app called Glow provides eager couples with fertility forecasts — and 23andme allows consumers to peek into the mysteries held by their DNA. In genealogy, websites are powerful enough to support the creation of a world family tree. This inspired the writer A.J. Jacobs to try and host the largest-ever family reunion next year. While observers like Edward Snowden (at SXSW recently) fear a loss of privacy with this plethora of data, we’re excited to see what new worlds will be opened up next by growing connections and search-ability.