To most people the term “big data” is associated with the data that corporations collect about us through our facebook posts, the GPS on our smartphones, and what products we scan at the checkout. It’s not just Big Data, it’s Big Brother. That is one very pervasive example of it, but “big data” basically refers to all the huge volumes of data that are generated every day, that we currently don’t have the capacity to fully use. I found this video quite helpful and accessible for explaining these ideas:
The mind boggles at how much data is collected using high-tech telescopes and satellites. I looked at the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope – which produces 2.5 gigabytes of data per second, or 75 petabytes per year. I was impressed at the collaboration between different organisations to store, analyse, manage and publish the data. Without that high level of collaboration, it wouldn’t be possible.
Hannah Shelley 