Presentation: Tweet"Data Science vs. Data Alchemy"

The "Big Data" and "Data Science" rhetoric of recent years seems to focus mostly on collecting, storing and analysing existing data. Data which many seem to think they have "too much of" already. However, the greatest discoveries in both science and business rarely come from analysing things that are already there. True innovation starts with asking Big Questions. Only then does it become apparent which data is needed to find the answers we seek.

In this session, we will relive the true story of an epic voyage in search of data. A quest for knowledge that will take us around the globe and into the solar system. Along the way, we will attempt to transmute lead into gold, use machine learning to optimise email marketing campaigns, experiment with sauerkraut, investigate a novel "Data Scientific" method for sentiment analysis, and discover a new continent.

This ancient adventure brings new perspectives on the Big Data and Data Science challenges we face today. Come and see how learning from the past can help you solve the problems of the future.

Prerequisite attendee experience level: beginner

This is not a technical talk. There'll be some practical examples, but only to illustrate a point. People from all backgrounds should be able to follow.