Commentary: The last several years have firmly ensconced us in the age of big data. Everything we’ve read, heard and seen has been supported by millions of data points, churned through lines of code and algorithm to provide us with the best paths to success. Expert insight into data and trends like Freakonomics, Outliers and a host of other popular works publicize the advantages of looking deeper at issues. Society, business, individuals can all learn from “big data.” The recent analysis of the impact that 1.5 pounds of air can have on a football game was a study in our ability to analyze, but to what end? Air is what the issue was about and air is all that came of it.
We have the ability to accumulate enormous amounts of information about a wide variety of subjects. Businesses are swimming in data about their customers, their business and themselves. If you can’t or won’t do something with the data, then let’s stop talking about it. But if you are willing and able, and can access some creativity to leverage that data, it can be very powerful and impactful.
