Applications of Big Data in Science

In class we learned about how Big Data can be used in science. 

Weather forecasting has become more accurate and efficient due to the rise of Big Data. The time between forecasting has been reduced from over a week to just under 3 days. This is because Big Data uses predictive algorithms to learn weather patterns, giving insight into weather forecasts much sooner than alternative methods. It will only get more accurate over time as the algorithms gather more data, particularly on extreme weather patterns which are not as predictable. 

Healthcare has also benefitted from the rise of Big Data. It allows people to receive diagnoses much faster, but also creating new links between symptoms and illness. For example, a new study showed a link between the retina and diabetes. When an algorithm is shown multiple pictures of eyes under a powerful camera, it can distinguish who is most likely to be vulnerable to illnesses like diabetes. How cool is that? It also played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic where it was able to track outbreaks and predict the number of cases in certain regions.

Another application would be in the military, particularly in the development of new technologies and analysis of patterns. DARPA utilises Big Data in managing their defense on cyber attacks, encryption, and in their engineering. It plays a crucial part particularly in the defence of countries, but has many other uses. Data from sattelites can provide vital information on the battlefield if analysed correctly, furthermore Big Data can also analyse social media platforms to judge morale.

References:

DARPA and Data: a Portfolio Overview. (n.d.). Docslib. https://docslib.org/doc/626715/darpa-and-data-a-portfolio-overview
https://ilearn.fife.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9751#section-8