We all talk about data now a days. Big data, large data, humongous amount of data. Data is encompassing all of us in myriad ways. Also it's not just about data being created but data being shared among multiple parties who see an interest in it. Couple of weeks back I met someone in a marriage and we exchanged numbers. Next day he started showing up in my recommendation list in Facebook. I don't have Facebook installed on my mobile, but still the connection happened. Google
and Facebook has mapped everyone in their ecosystem that they know more than about you, than you might be knowing about yourself. Don't be surprised if travel agencies start sending you mails in March for deals as everyone in the world knows that you take a vacation in May and book your travel plans in April.
We all are going to be Truman Burbank of "The Truman Show". Our life will slowly get scripted by corporations. Even if you don't intend to take a vacation in May this year, the corporations will figure out you have issues in taking vacation. They might even know why because your wife is pregnant and due on 20th April. The corporations will predict more accurately than you would have imagined taking into account what kind of data you and your wife is negotiating. Sounds creepy. We are already part of this ecosystem and this is going to become more creepier only.Suddenly that month march you have no travel deals. But you get a lot of deals on pregnant mom and soon to be born baby. Congratulations.
In most of the religious scriptures, it is mentioned that the life has been already scripted for each one of us. I don't use to believe on that as I thought it's a random walk theory. But with new data driven world this is becoming more and more true. It's a walk theory which looks randomized.
I am not sure though how Heisenberg uncertainty principal will act on it. I think it will be have an impact on the outcomes. Let me elaborate on that. Heisenberg uncertainty principal in simple terms is if you try to find the position of a sub atomic particle, than you have to touch the particle. The act of touching the particle in itself will change the position. This is also known as observer effect in Physics. To know your taste and inclinations you will be served with a series of information in forms of ads, surveys and other tools which will look for your reactions. The act of reacting will lead to changing of your perceptions and will make you start thinking on those lines. If someone tells you about Kafal and how tasty the fruit is, repeatedly in subtle ways, there is a big chance of you trying to find out what is it and how to get hold of it. I know you are searching Google for it.
Welcome to the world of data science astrologers, who would even get to a point of predicting deaths based on your lifestyle, inclinations, how your genes adjust to that etc. etc. And than something will happen to earth, and god will have the last laugh. May be the god is the ultimate data scientist.
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