Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Porway:
That data science is a lens through which we can view, understand,
and change our world. I'm actually borrowing this from Moritz Stefaner, who
is a data visualization guy with the best title I've ever heard of—truth and
beauty operator. At the very end of the Visualized conference last year, he
talked about this idea. He said, “I read a book in the 1980s by Joël de Rosnay
called
The Macroscope.
2
Joël was saying, 'Back in the old days, we invented the
telescope to look at the infinitely large, infinitely far away. Fantastic, great tool.
We can now see the cosmos. And then we invented the microscope. We can
see infinitesimally small, right down there, little bugs and stuff. But what we
need now is something that lets us look at the infinitely complex'—what he
called a
macroscope
—'that lets us look at the complicated patterns of society
and nature and the ways that they interact.' And at the time, there was not a
really good way to do this.”
To me, data science and the vast quantities of data in our world are that lens,
that macroscope. Data science offers the ability to interpret this data. It's not
just cool algorithms or data in the sense that you would normally think of as
service, and spreadsheets, and sales pictures of binary number tunnels. Data
is new eyes. And data science is a way to see the world through the lens of
this new macroscope to learn the patterns of society and nature so we can
all live better lives.
Gutierrez:
Whose work is currently inspiring you?
Porway:
The great Jer Thorp and Kim Rees are doing absolutely fantastic
work regarding thoughtful, socially conscious data visualization and interactive
design. Pete Warden's work never ceases to amaze me in its technical prowess
yet its accessibility. That guy has an unmatched curiosity. Of course, I'm also
inspired by everyone on our advisory council—Hilary Mason, Mike Olson,
Drew Conway, Cheryl Heller, Mark Hansen—to name just a few.
Gutierrez:
What do you look for in someone's work?
Porway:
To me, someone's work has to be thoughtful and sensitive. It's easy
to throw exciting tools at anything, but it's a very, very different challenge to
do something thoughtfully and with sensitivity. For example, Pew Charitable
Trusts just teamed up with SkyTruth to use satellite imagery to counter illegal
fishing. I love these clever applications of new technology in ways that are
thoughtful and helpful.
Gutierrez:
What's the biggest thing you've changed your mind about?
Porway:
This is very wonky, but coming from AI, I always felt like the more
sophisticated the model the better. I had this idea that using massive amounts
of data was somehow a crude and crass way of solving problems, like it was
2
Joël de Rosnay,
The Macroscope: A New World Scientific System
(Harper& Row, 1979).
