Big data: Delving deeper into the latest scientific buzzword

Has “big data” always existed, or has something changed in recent years to bring this catchphrase to the surface? What research is being conducted using big data, what repositories are available or being built, and what stories should science writers potentially cover on this topic? During our program on April 9, the following speakers explored these topics for NSWA members and guests:

• Sally James, who recently looked into this big data topic for Seattle Business Magazine and shared a “shallow dive into big data” on her blog. James began her career as a newspaper reporter in Portland, Oregon. Over a long career in Northwest journalism, she has talked her way into autopsies, murder scenes, surgeries and medical research labs.

• Justin Thompson, UW student in Mathematics. Thompson is working on sparse sensing algorithms, with a focus on developing code for distinguishing difference among data sets (images, sounds) with minimum information.

 ScienceOnline 2014 Recap

Registration for the ScienceOnline “unconference” always fills up within minutes, and North Carolina is quite the schlep from the Pacific NW. What’s all the hype about? NSWAnians Mónica I. Feliú-Mójer and Jen Davison filled us in at our monthly meeting on March 12. More…