Why Science Still Matters In A Data-Driven Age

Inside Science Minds presents an ongoing series of guest columnists and personal perspectives presented by scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and others in the science community showcasing some of the most interesting ideas in science today. In fact, upon reflection, it was amazing how often the word "algorithm" came up in the course of our conversations with these accomplished scientists. The boom in software and computing has achieved powerful and profound results in our society. And, yes, the world is a better place, thanks to data analytics. But we need to slow down and regain our perspective, because Big Data and machine learning are absolutely not ends unto themselves, and they certainly aren't a replacement for basic scientific research and exploration.