Dear Readers,

In future posts I will be addressing the burning issues and practicalities of Data Science, and debunking hype, in a non-technical context. Addressing issues such as ‘does this really concern me?’, ‘IBM or SAS?’, ‘what does big data really mean for me?’ and ‘where do I start?’. In this post, however, I want to take the chance to introduce myself and my vision for this blog.

“Data is everywhere, in rapid abundance; its value increasing with every new application and technology – if you have data, there is almost certainly something to be gained from it.”

Born and raised in Kwa-Zulu Natal, I moved to Cape Town and graduated BSc Electro-Mechanical Engineering at University of Cape Town. I was never quite satisfied with the narrow engineering perspex however, and throughout my degree I broadened my perspective to law, ecology, sociology and astrophysics. A turning point for me was an industrial ecology assignment I did on Panarchy Theory – which describes how almost all the systems we know follow the same basic pattern and interact with each other in a hierarchical manner. Since then I have studied countless textbooks from neuroscience and social physics to meteorology and systems theory. I have delighted in recognising this basic pattern throughout and lending ideas from one realm of study into another, and extracting this ‘common language’ as my view of the world. The truth is that a raven is like a writing desk, and understanding how changes the way you understand the world.

Over the years, I have published a number of data science articles, from predictive maintenance to micro-weather forecasting – both before their time, and have been working at the forefront of the industry for years. Over the past few years in particular the exponential trend in technological advances, and realisation of its potential, has seen an explosion of data, and its applications. Data is everywhere, in rapid abundance; its value increasing with every new application and technology – if you have data, there is almost certainly something to be gained from it. This fold upon fold of exponential growth in a highly technical field, engulfing nearly everything in its path, is intimidating for the hardiest of professionals – and down right confusing to everyone else. Data science has taken to just about every field of study, coding language and industry alike, leading to a labyrinth of ‘standards’, tools, software suites and technologies – many of which are repeats; each trying to sell its version of the truth, shrouded in myths and self-fulfilling buzz words. To which I have extended my Panarchic lens on the world  – in an effort to maintain a common, simple view of it all that is in harmony with reality. My vision for this blog is to bring concise, bite size reflections, from myself and other experts on the front-line, to demystify and ground your understanding of data science and how it applies tangibly to both yourself and Africa at large.