Data science is devoted to extracting insights from large and complex datasets. Every day, immense quantities of data about human activities, interests, and health are recorded by our devices and the sensors around us. These data are used to better understand, predict, and influence our preferences and decisions. Evolving technology is also enhancing our ability to measure and respond to many other aspects of our world, and indeed our universe.

The impact of this data is immensely significant as it affects all aspects of life including our political systems, our notions of culture and self, our forms of communication, and our ideas of equality and inclusion. A data scientist’s goal is to find clever ways of organizing, classifying, and visualizing data so that the information it contains is made apparent, while also considering the ethical, political and cultural implications of the data.