Section Twelve - additional materials
Videos, exercises, books, games, papers and so on (updated regularly)
Latest update: 10-mrt-2022
We will update this section regularly. If you have any suggestions, just let us know at info@tict.io
Here is a PowerPoint that you can use for a live session.
Additional materials for section one - the power of data
Book: Do you want to understand the power of data while being entertained? Read Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz.
Do you think (big) data is cool. See what it takes to be a data scientist (animated video - 8 minutes).
A video about how fast data is growing (6 minutes)
A linkedIn - column by Bernard Marr with a lot more interesting links on the five V's.
In the TED Talk in the video below, Kenneth Cukier gives a fascinating example about apple pie. It has long been thought that apple pie was America's favorite pie. After all, it was the most sold. Until the supermarkets also started selling small one-person cakes. Then apple pie turned out to be not so popular at all. Apple pie turned out to be the cake that everyone liked and that you therefore bought if there were only large cakes.
Kenneth also knows - if we look at his clothing style, the term Big Suits. With capital letters! Video: 15 minutes.
A fun TED Talk by Sebastian Wernicke on how to use data to make a hit TV show:
An optimistic TED talk by Mallory Soldner on solving hunger with data.
Additional materials for section two - all data is subjective
Two articles in Wired:
- One article about more data, more problems;
- One article about Google Flu Trends;
- Article on survivorship bias;
A video by Kate Crawford on the biases in data.
Additional materials for section three - measuring is influencing
A TED Talk by Cathy O'Neill, where she argues that blind faith in data must end (15 minutes)
You can also read her book: Weapons of Math Destruction.
Additional materials for section four - apophenia
The fantastic website by Tyler Vigen, with all kinds of spurious correlations.
Some great examples of apophenia on the website of Rutgers.
The idea that problems with data need more data in a video by Negativland (5 minutes):
The website of the church of the flying spaghetti monster.
The trailer of I, Pastafari. The full video is also available and on Vimeo.
Additional materials for section five - correlations
A video of 6 minutes on 6 bizarre correlations:
BuzzFeed published an overview of ten bizarre correlations, here.
Quick question: Can you determine which of these ten are totally coincidental (apophenia) and where there is a third factor in play?
Additional materials for section six- cause & effect
A very nice TEDx talk by Ionica Smeets, a Dutch professor in science communication, on the dangers of mixing up causality and correlation (6 minutes).
Nice article on Scienceblogs on correlation & causation.
Additional materials for section seven - algorithms & ai
Everybody Lies. Great book on 'lying' with data.
Additional materials for section eight - closed feedback loops
No materials yet.
Additional materials for section nine - data is in the box
No materials yet.
Additional materials for section ten - complexity of real life
Read about Bernanke and his mortgage in the NY Times.
Tricia Wang does a TED Talk on the missing human insights in data.
Additional materials for section eleven - predators & data scientists
Some links:
- An article in Harvard Business Review on data fundamentalism;
- The great website from Cathy O'neil with all kinds of great examples on the issues with data;
- A tool to do Data Assessments from the Urecht Data School;
- Five principles for big data ethics;
- An article in Aeon on the important of statistical literacy;
A final disclaimer
We realize that there are a lot of TED Talks in the crash courses and yes we do know that TED Talks are kind of 'learn porn.' However, they are great for selling stuff, and we really like to sell you the idea that thinking about the impact of technology is important. However, as an antidote, we present you this Talk from Pat Kelly.
Do you have any suggestions? Let us know at info@tict.io