steve on Nostr: “How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms” by ...
“How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms” by Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones
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Chris Wiggins and Matthew Jones are professors at Columbia University teaching applied mathematics and history, respectively. They use their book to explore the historical context behind the contemporary data environment we’re largely familiar with today. Going back hundreds of years to the origins of statistics, they explore the ways data has been used and how bias has affected it at every step along the way. In doing so, the authors pose a hypothetical question: who has the responsibility over data? Individuals, corporations, and states all have a claim to stake in this new frontier so it’s fair to say the answer would include “all of the above.” Wiggins & Jones’ work does not provide a lucid explanation of data in all its current forms and uses, nor does it try to. It merely explains how quantitative methods evolved with time and the missteps along the way. While the authors don’t propose anything particularly debatable, they also don’t offer anything substantive of value to the reader—the narrative simply lacks teeth. Consequently, Wiggins & Matthews provide an interesting backdrop to the study of data… and little more. 📊📏
⭐️⭐️
Chris Wiggins and Matthew Jones are professors at Columbia University teaching applied mathematics and history, respectively. They use their book to explore the historical context behind the contemporary data environment we’re largely familiar with today. Going back hundreds of years to the origins of statistics, they explore the ways data has been used and how bias has affected it at every step along the way. In doing so, the authors pose a hypothetical question: who has the responsibility over data? Individuals, corporations, and states all have a claim to stake in this new frontier so it’s fair to say the answer would include “all of the above.” Wiggins & Jones’ work does not provide a lucid explanation of data in all its current forms and uses, nor does it try to. It merely explains how quantitative methods evolved with time and the missteps along the way. While the authors don’t propose anything particularly debatable, they also don’t offer anything substantive of value to the reader—the narrative simply lacks teeth. Consequently, Wiggins & Matthews provide an interesting backdrop to the study of data… and little more. 📊📏