Prime quotations by well-known knowledge scientists which might be typically enlightening, typically humorous and all the time insightful
Over the previous couple of years as I’ve learn and researched the information science panorama, I’ve developed the behavior of accumulating, recording and deciphering knowledge science-related quotations wherever I’ve come throughout them.
I’ve discovered these quotations to be typically enlightening, typically humorous and all the time insightful, therefore I’ve compiled a listing of my very favourites under together with my interpretation of their which means and what we are able to study from them.
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1. “Issues get executed provided that the information we collect can inform and encourage these able to make a distinction.”
(Dr. Mike Schmoker, Writer)
That is one among my favorite knowledge science quotes ever. It refers back to the “final mile” of knowledge science and infers that we are able to have entry to intelligent knowledge scientists and good knowledge but when we fail to affect key determination makers to behave on the findings then it has all been for nought and our beloved fashions are destined to collect mud on the data-science shelf.
2. “Torture the information, and it’ll confess to something.”
(Ronald Coase, Economics, Nobel prize Laureate)
The primary knowledge science-related citation I ever collected, it refers back to the temptation to make the information match the speculation, additionally know as a “affirmation” bias if we obsess with an information set for lengthy sufficient.
The important thing studying is to develop a way of when to simply accept that no additional worth might be realised by continued evaluation of a specific knowledge set and even that typically we might must stroll away.
3. “Information is the brand new oil.”
(Clive Humby, Mathematician and Marketeer)
In 2006 Clive Humby created one of many lasting knowledge science quotes by declaring that “Information is the brand new oil”.
This comparability has been debated and challenged many instances since but it surely nonetheless highlights that knowledge has a big and sometimes untapped financial worth to corporations and that the information must be mined, extracted, refined and delivered to grasp that worth.
4. “All fashions are incorrect however some are helpful.”
(George E. P. Field, British Statistician)
Information science fashions are simplified abstractions of the actual world and as such they’re all incorrect in some measure as a result of the actual world is the one and solely true illustration, so why hassle in any respect?
Nicely, we construct an information mannequin to develop descriptive and predictive perception to drive enhancements in determination making and any mannequin that’s simply correct sufficient can produce that perception and the related aggressive benefit even whether it is sure to fall wanting the actual world that it represents.
5. “If we have now knowledge, let’s take a look at knowledge. If all we have now are opinions, let’s go along with mine.”
(Jim L. Barksdale, American Govt)
Jim Barksdale is encouraging his groups to come back to his door with knowledge that may be analysed within the determination making course of with the inherent menace that if no knowledge is obtainable Jim will implement his personal view, so that you had higher convey knowledge to the following assembly!
6. “Instinct is pondering that with out realizing why you do.”
(Daniel Kahneman, Israeli-American Psychologist and Nobel Prize Winner)
Pure instinct, in accordance with the writings of Daniel Kahneman, is a fallacy and by inference determination makers who rely solely on instinct with out knowledge and proof will make selections which might be both incorrect or simply fortunate.
7. “Large knowledge is like teenage intercourse; everybody talks about it, no person actually is aware of tips on how to do it, everybody thinks everybody else is doing it, so everybody claims they’re doing it.”
(Dan Ariely, American Professor)
The supply of this flippant, humorous however oh-so insightful quote is a well-known tweet from Dan Ariely.
It’s referring to the tendency for a lot of knowledge science professionals, managers and leaders to boast about their corporations leveraging of huge knowledge with out actually understanding what it’s, not to mention having developed a mature large knowledge functionality that’s delivering these all-important and tangible impression and outcomes.
8. “In God we belief. All others convey knowledge.”
(Barry Beracha, CEO of Sara Lee Bakery Group)
That is one other nice knowledge science-related citation from a profitable senior government.
My interpretation is that Barry would solely belief God to make selections with out having knowledge to again it up and if anybody else is coming to his workplace door they’d higher convey some knowledge to help their views and opinions!
9. “Errors utilizing insufficient knowledge are a lot lower than these utilizing no knowledge in any respect.”
(Charles Babbage, English Mathematician)
Have you ever ever been in a type of conferences the place the information crew has labored laborious to provide the required data solely to be shot down by different attendees opining that the information can’t be trusted to tell the choice making?
Nicely, I hold this well-known quote in my again pocket for simply such an eventuality.
Self-evidently we wish our knowledge to be as correct, well timed and constant as potential to allow and help efficient determination making however even the place there are some inadequacies it’s nonetheless significantly better to make use of knowledge than to resort to uninformed instinct, anecdote and private opinion.
10. “Gents, it’s essential put the armour plate the place the bullet holes aren’t as a result of that’s the place the holes have been on the planes that didn’t return.”
(Abraham Wald, Hungarian Mathematician)
Abraham Wald famously decreased the losses of WWII Allied plane by recommending to senior officers that they add armour plating to the locations on the planes that returned to base the place there have been no bullet holes slightly than the locations that have been riddled.
His pondering was that the planes that made it again have been dangerous indicators of the place so as to add the armour. It was those that didn’t get house that have been shot elsewhere like within the engines and nose-cone.
In knowledge science this refers back to the “availability bias” the place there’s a tendency to develop initiatives utilizing simply knowledge that’s readily and simply out there slightly than knowledge that’s vital to the evaluation, however far more troublesome to amass.
11. “It’s a capital mistake to theorize earlier than one has knowledge.”
(Sherlock Holmes, Detective)
We might consider Sherlock Holmes primarily as a detective however on this quote the good detective is supporting the view of a few of our more moderen, company contributors that knowledge is a vital pre-cursor to forming and evaluating our hypotheses.
12. “No nice advertising and marketing selections have ever been made on qualitative knowledge.”
(John Sculley, American Businessman)
We’ve got established that knowledge detractors typically dispute knowledge accuracy however one other group that may typically decry the criticality of knowledge in determination making are creatives.
Right here John Sculley is difficult that with a counter view stating that despite the fact that we affiliate advertising and marketing with qualitative knowledge, no nice advertising and marketing selections have ever been made until there’s quantitative knowledge.
And within the trendy, machine studying world we are able to even use fashions to develop qualitative knowledge into quantitative data utilizing sentiment evaluation and different pure language processing strategies so there actually is not any excuse!
13. “You may have knowledge with out data, however you can not have data with out knowledge.”
(Daniel Keys Moran, American Fiction Author)
Information might be analysed, synthesised and developed into data, and once more into intelligence and at last into data as corporations acquire greater knowledge maturity, nonetheless this journey is unidirectional.
Daniel Keys Moran’s quote highlights two key classes. Firstly, if we fail to analyse, clear and refine uncooked knowledge we are able to by no means get structured, significant, insightful data and likewise we are able to by no means attain the upper ranges of knowledge maturity with out having the uncooked knowledge within the first place.
14. “Information beats feelings.”
(Sean Rad, Co-founder of Tinder)
The courting app tinder is all in regards to the emotional enterprise of forming friendships and romantic relationships however right here Sean Rad is indicating in simply 3 phrases the criticality of knowledge as an under-pinning, foundational part of constructing that functionality within the digital and actual worlds.
15. “Within the labour market of the longer term, any determination made with out knowledge is only a shot at the hours of darkness”
(Duncan Brown, Economist and Andy Durman, Managing Director)
I’ll end my well-known quotations with this one that’s alluding to the historic tendency to recruit primarily based on feeling giving option to an envisaged future the place recruitment with out knowledge shall be little higher than guessing.
In fact, it has an essential overlap with the ethical and moral makes use of of knowledge.
We must always not and can’t make people-centric selections primarily based on knowledge within the public area (on social media and many others.) until that knowledge has been rigorously and robustly checked and guaranteed however knowledge will definitely play an growing position in augmenting recruitment, staffing and folks selections in future.
