Explaining Data Science to a Non-Data Scientist

Summary: Explaining data science to a non-data scientist isn't as easy as it sounds. You may know a lot about math, tools, techniques, data, and computer architecture but the question is how do you explain this briefly without getting buried in the detail. You might try this approach. You're at a party or maybe striking up a conversation with that pretty girl at the bar and sooner or later the question comes up, "what do you do?" Since you have what is reported to be the sexiest job in the world you proudly respond "I'm a data scientist". OK, what happens next depends on exactly what you say.