~January 11, 2022~
Related to Math?
In the podcast, they discuss algorithms, data collection, how it is used, and how they can use data to be of service to humanity. 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are produced daily, and they explained how they could use that data to help those in need. For example, by collecting data during drought seasons in California, algorithms could predict how much water demand there will be at a granular level, which helped them understand and ration more effectively. In addition, California saved $25 million within the first year because they did not have to send dump trunks to Nevada to collect water in reservoirs, which was problematic and costly. By using data and algorithms that data scientists fabricated, California avoided those problems. Another example is that they were able to predict when a cyclone was approaching a country. As a result, they were able to save many lives. Jake Porway, the founder and executive director of DataKind, wants to solve world issues by using data and algorithms to predict problematic events, to ensure that humanity can prepare themselves and do something about it.
Anything Thought Provoking?
Whenever I think of data collection and how algorithms use that data to predict the future, I have always thought of it negatively, where I had no sense of privacy. The article “Target Knows You’re Pregnant” is an excellent example of invading privacy. The father of a teenage girl received baby diapers and baby-related ads, implying that his daughter was pregnant. The fact that these algorithms knew that the daughter was pregnant is pretty scary as they know a lot more about you or those around you better than you. Jake Porway, the founder and executive of DataKind, has a goal in mind to better collect, analyze, and visualize data in the service of humanity. He explained how today’s world is digitized, which means that there are so many opportunities to help people worldwide. We can use data and algorithms as an advantage to predict diseases or when outbreaks may occur. Another example is that he planned to use the technology we have to help deliver food and clean drinking water with the Red Cross, which many people worldwide, including the government, thought was a great idea. He made me realize that there is so much potential to impact the world, especially with today's technology. We can use data collected and algorithms to improve lives and prepare humanity for potential disasters.
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