10 Best TED Talks on Big Data and Analytics

When we come to think of big data, various schools of thoughts have contributed to its development. TED talks by various data analytics experts provide great insights and offer numerous perspectives of this field. TED features more than 500 speeches on big data and analytics, so we have refined the search by compiling a list of Top 10 TED talks on data analytics that tell you about the past, present and future of this science.

1) Shyam Sankar: The Rise of Human-Computer Co-operation

The director of 'Palantir Technologies', Shyam is a data mining innovator who explains that the problem was never man v/s machine but man, machine and the right type of cooperation without dependence on predetermined programs. Intelligence Augmentation, he says, is the way to solve big problems like identifying hidden trends or catching terrorists. It all lies in how you find the right sync between human creativity and algorithms.

2) Kenneth Cukier: Big data is Better Data

Kenneth is the co-author of the NY Times Bestseller – 'Big Data: A revolution that will transform how we Live, Work and Think' and the data editor of 'The Economist'. In the discussion, Kenneth takes you through the concept of information liquidity. He talks about predictive analytics in machine learning and the future of data analytics and at the same time discusses the flip side to these predictions.

3) Deb Roy: The Birth of a Word

In a speech that received a standing ovation by the audience, Deb masterfully takes you through the process by which he mapped, measured and drew insights from data collected by video cameras installed in his home to understand how his child learnt words. He discusses this in a visual context by providing beautiful interactions between the patterns. Imagine instead of just tapping into the figures of how many people are watching a particular show, you can actually create a wordscape to study the engagement property of the content. Deb works with Bluefin Labs to design machines that can communicate in a human-like manner.

4) Rajiv Maheswaran: The Math Behind Basketball's Wildest Moves

Rajiv is a researcher working with Second Spectrum to make basketball teams smarter. He uses the concept of movement tracking in this sport to illustrate how machine learning goes beyond one's own capabilities. He proves that machine learning can help quantify every aspect of not just a sport but businesses in general.

5) Alexander Nix: The Power of Big Data and Psychographics

Alexander, CEO at Cambridge Analytica, discusses how marketing and communication have changed fundamentally with changes in segmentation criteria. Now, along with demographics, economics, and geographic- psychographics is also a major tool to study the market. He explains the OCEAN model developed to study behavior traits and how a message can now be drafted accurately according to the target market.

6) Anne Milgram: Why Smart Statistics are the Key to Fighting Crime

Anne Milgram is a criminal justice reformer. She became the Attorney General of New Jersey in 2007 and was startled to find out that their system had no means whatsoever to find a relation between their decisions regarding criminals and public safety. In an engaging talk, she shares how the inclusion of data analytics in the police system helped create a hassle-free environment while simultaneously saving on the taxpayers' money.

7) Susan Ethlinger: What Do We Do with All this Big Data?

Susan, a data analyst, in this talk, tells us how she found accidental wisdom from a controversial phrase uttered by an ex-president of the United States. She shares the story of her autistic child and how the diagnosis may be factually right but doesn't necessarily paint the whole picture. She says showing the math or 'critical thinking' is what is important and not just some data sets.

8) Ben Wellington: Making Data Mean More Through Storytelling

Ben is a data analyst, a storyteller and a blogger. In this TED discussion, he shares the ways in which he uses New York City's open data to create stories that reflect every part of urban life.

9) Zac Johnson: Relationship Analytics and Business

The mind behind 'Syndio Social', Zac's is perhaps the most underrated of TED talks on data analytics. He explains how human behavior contributes to data analysis and efforts to adapt to changes. Zac has worked on crucial projects for NASA, the US army and more.

 10) David McCandless: The Beauty of Data visualization

David is a popular data journalist whose TED talk discusses that how data navigation has become hassle-free thanks to attractive patterns and diagrams that help draw useful insights from complex data sets.