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Big data puts an end to the reign of statistics


Michael S. Malone of the Wall Street Journal proclaimed last month* that

One of the most extraordinary features of big data is that it signals the end of the reign of statistics.  For 400 years, we’ve been forced to sample complex systems and extrapolate.  Now, with big data, it is possible to measure everything…

Based on what I’ve gathered (admittedly only a small and probably unrepresentative sample), I think this is very unlikely.  Nonetheless, if I were a statistician, I would reposition myself as a “Big Data Scientist”.

*”The Big-Data Future Has Arrived”, 2/22/16.

This entry was posted on March 3, 2016, 5:58 pm and is filed under Basic stats & math. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  1. #1 by Andy on April 28, 2016 - 6:22 am

    “…Now, with big data, it is possible to measure everything…”
    “Measurement” is rarely the real problem. Interpretation and conclusions out of the measurement results is the key point!

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