McKinsey on Big Data

McKinsey has a full report (from March 2011) describing the meaning and potential impact of so-called big data. You can read the report here. One problem, which the authors of the report do not discuss in detail, is the that since so much of what constitutes big data will be collected by private firms there are possibilities of restricted information pockets. In other words, only certain private actors will have access to big data, and academics might very well be left very few big data sources.

Big Science in Sociology

The search for the Higgs Boson particle has captivated a wide range of people all over the world, and the construction of the Large Hadron Collider is the reason for this widespread interest. Is such a "big science" approach possible in the social sciences, including sociology? Although the details to me seem obscure, researchers in Europe have developed a proposal for what they call the FuturICT, a "big science" project for the social sciences (ICT stands for "Information and Communication Technology") in the mode of the Manhattan Project, Apollo Project, and Large Hadron Collider. But what is it, exactly, that they are proposing? I get the sense it's a giant computer simulation, but it doesn't seem entirely clear.

Congratulations to the Digging into Data Recipients

The list of the round two award recipients for the 2011 Digging into Data challenge are listed here.