In this unit, you were introduced to various kinds of software, particularly databases. Databases have made it possible to gather and analyze vast amounts of data. The study of that data has led to some surprises, such as the real favorite flavor of pie for most people—it’s not what you might think!

Watch the video Big Data Is Better Data. After you finish watching the video, answer the following questions:

Were you surprised by the “pie data”? Is it true for you, your family, and your friends? Why or why not?
The speaker argues that more data allow us to see new things. Think about your favorite hobby—skateboarding, listening to music, or whatever you most enjoy doing. What kinds of insights could big data provide about your hobby? How might these insights make things better for you? Are there any ways that big data could make your hobby worse?
The author mentions several challenges facing the world, including poverty and climate change. How might big data help us solve these problems?
Think of—and explain—one or more ways that society could use big data, other than the ones mentioned in the video.
Think for a moment about the potential problems with big data that the speaker mentioned:
Will we treat people unfairly for crimes they haven’t yet committed?
Will most jobs disappear due to automation?
Can we protect data from people who shouldn’t have it?
Choose a question and write down a hypothesis (an explanation or proposition). You will have an opportunity to research your hypothesis in Activity 2.

THE VIDEO IS AT TED . COM WITH THIS AFTER /talks/kenneth_cukier_big_data_is_better_data#t-76430