Speaker
Andy Newsam
Description
In a world increasingly dependent on vast data sets and complex processes to analyse and manipulate them, public understanding of them is poor. Combined with secrecy from vested interests, political spin, and conspiracy theories about "mutant algorithms" etc. this leads to mistrust, even fear, and dangerous anti-science attitudes. Demystifying "big data" is an important task which anyone working in the field can help with - it can also be great fun. In this workshop we will explore some approaches to engaging non-specialists, school students and the general public with data science and its role (for good or evil) in the modern world.