This book presents the first broad look at the rapidly emerging field of data-intensive science, with the goal of influencing the worldwide scientific and computing research communities and inspiring the next generation of scientists. Increasingly, scientific breakthroughs will be powered by advanced computing capabilities that help researchers manipulate and explore massive datasets. The speed at which any given scientific discipline advances will depend on how well its researchers collaborate with one another, and with technologists, in areas of eScience such as databases, workflow management, visualization, and cloud-computing technologies. This collection of essays expands on the vision of pioneering computer scientist Jim Gray for a new, fourth paradigm of discovery based on data-intensive science and offers insights into how it can be fully realized.
The Fourth Paradigm: Data-Intensive Scientific Discovery
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By J. Brew
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
"We have to do better producing tools to support the whole research cycle - from data capture and data curation to data analysis and data visualization." - Jim Gray
The Fourth Paradigm is a collection of papers talks on research areas that aim to improve the research cycle. The talks are a memorial to Microsoft Tech Fellow Jim Gray. Gray had the insight that science has gone through four paradigms so far. The first paradigm, which has lasted over the last few thousand years, was empirical science which describes natural phenomena. Over the last few hindered years, the second paradigm of theoretical science using models and generalizations has occurred. Within the last 50 to 70 years, the third paradigm of computational science has developed to simulate complex phenomena. Finally, the fourth paradigm (also known as eScience) has developed to unify theory, experiment, and simulation. Jim Gray says:"... it is worth distinguishing data-intensive science from computational science as a new, fourth paradigm for scientific exploration."
The book itself is divided into four major sections: Earth and Environment, Health and Wellbeing, Scientific Infrastructure, and Scholarly Communications with 6 to 8 papers per section. The emphasis here is on science; however, I'd assert that all these areas directly impact engineering as well. For example, the flight test of a new product involves an enormous amount of data, which produces much analysis, knowledge, and understanding. The principle idea of eScience (and eEngineering) is that the data and analysis interoperate with each other, such that information is at your fingertips for everyone, everywhere. The payoff is a large increase in information velocity and productivity. In the end, an analysis or report will be an overlay on the data. I have seen this start to happen, and agree with Jim Gray that our current tools are very primitive - a lot of new tools are going to be required.
A paper that I found particularly interesting was "Discovering the Wiring of the Brain" Their summary is: "Decoding the complete connectome of the human brain is one of the great challenges of the 21st century." I agree - and discovering the scientific and engineering applications that will emerge will be even more of a challenge. This is an area that requires an entire new way to handle all the data - consider that a snapshot 1 cubic mm of image data from a human brain contains a petabyte of data, and that a human brain contains about one million cubic mm.
This fascinating book is availed for free download at the Microsoft Research website at [...]/
I think any working scientist or engineer will find much to learn and think about in this collection of papers on the emerging Fourth Paradigm and the world of eScience (and eEnginnering)
The Fourth Paradigm is a collection of papers talks on research areas that aim to improve the research cycle. The talks are a memorial to Microsoft Tech Fellow Jim Gray. Gray had the insight that science has gone through four paradigms so far. The first paradigm, which has lasted over the last few thousand years, was empirical science which describes natural phenomena. Over the last few hindered years, the second paradigm of theoretical science using models and generalizations has occurred. Within the last 50 to 70 years, the third paradigm of computational science has developed to simulate complex phenomena. Finally, the fourth paradigm (also known as eScience) has developed to unify theory, experiment, and simulation. Jim Gray says:"... it is worth distinguishing data-intensive science from computational science as a new, fourth paradigm for scientific exploration."
The book itself is divided into four major sections: Earth and Environment, Health and Wellbeing, Scientific Infrastructure, and Scholarly Communications with 6 to 8 papers per section. The emphasis here is on science; however, I'd assert that all these areas directly impact engineering as well. For example, the flight test of a new product involves an enormous amount of data, which produces much analysis, knowledge, and understanding. The principle idea of eScience (and eEngineering) is that the data and analysis interoperate with each other, such that information is at your fingertips for everyone, everywhere. The payoff is a large increase in information velocity and productivity. In the end, an analysis or report will be an overlay on the data. I have seen this start to happen, and agree with Jim Gray that our current tools are very primitive - a lot of new tools are going to be required.
A paper that I found particularly interesting was "Discovering the Wiring of the Brain" Their summary is: "Decoding the complete connectome of the human brain is one of the great challenges of the 21st century." I agree - and discovering the scientific and engineering applications that will emerge will be even more of a challenge. This is an area that requires an entire new way to handle all the data - consider that a snapshot 1 cubic mm of image data from a human brain contains a petabyte of data, and that a human brain contains about one million cubic mm.
This fascinating book is availed for free download at the Microsoft Research website at [...]/
I think any working scientist or engineer will find much to learn and think about in this collection of papers on the emerging Fourth Paradigm and the world of eScience (and eEnginnering)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Computer Science is still in early days, and often its tools are the object of study. This book focuses on how our ability to process data is helpful to Science. Tycho Brahe left us lots of measurements still readable today. Bits nowadays are more volatile than that.
It is a very interesting book, made of papers, and a starting point for a vision. Dedicated to a great person and researcher.
I hope that the "Microsoft" tag wouldn't lead someone to ignore it, not always there is a hidden plot, and in this case it's just a book that people working with someone felt to write to honor his work and his memory.
It is a very interesting book, made of papers, and a starting point for a vision. Dedicated to a great person and researcher.
I hope that the "Microsoft" tag wouldn't lead someone to ignore it, not always there is a hidden plot, and in this case it's just a book that people working with someone felt to write to honor his work and his memory.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Mec
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I really enjoy the subject matter: science and computers.
However, all of the papers were top-down overviews. I wanted to dig into some case studies. For example, Microsoft has a working project: World Wide Telescope. How many data sources do they use? How do they blend data from conflicting sources? How do they curate the data? How much telescope gear (and how much computer hardware and software) would I need to contribute? None of the essays went into details on these projects.
Several papers did make some useful, interesting points.
Much of scientific research today is cottage industry: one group puts together some instruments, gathers data, analyzes it, publishes paper. A revolution akin to the industrial revolution will happen: specialized groups will operate instruments and publish data; other groups will analyze the data.
The data repositories of the future must accommodate large numbers of disparate groups gathering data -- and the scientific community must reward them. Data organization, provision of metadata, provenance are all big unsolved questions. (I'd have liked more detailed information here, too).
Some scientific instruments collect data so fast that the bottleneck is no longer data acquisition but data interpretation. Similarly, data repositories are so large that making copies of the dataset is expensive -- it will actually be cheaper for data repositories to offer services where researchers run custom programs against the data.
This high-level overview is grand, but it's hard to test. Surely these pronouncements are based on experience in actual scientific projects. I wanted to read more at this lower level.
However, all of the papers were top-down overviews. I wanted to dig into some case studies. For example, Microsoft has a working project: World Wide Telescope. How many data sources do they use? How do they blend data from conflicting sources? How do they curate the data? How much telescope gear (and how much computer hardware and software) would I need to contribute? None of the essays went into details on these projects.
Several papers did make some useful, interesting points.
Much of scientific research today is cottage industry: one group puts together some instruments, gathers data, analyzes it, publishes paper. A revolution akin to the industrial revolution will happen: specialized groups will operate instruments and publish data; other groups will analyze the data.
The data repositories of the future must accommodate large numbers of disparate groups gathering data -- and the scientific community must reward them. Data organization, provision of metadata, provenance are all big unsolved questions. (I'd have liked more detailed information here, too).
Some scientific instruments collect data so fast that the bottleneck is no longer data acquisition but data interpretation. Similarly, data repositories are so large that making copies of the dataset is expensive -- it will actually be cheaper for data repositories to offer services where researchers run custom programs against the data.
This high-level overview is grand, but it's hard to test. Surely these pronouncements are based on experience in actual scientific projects. I wanted to read more at this lower level.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Big Data Analytics in Fourth Paradigm
This was a much referenced book. It proved to be insightful in many areas but it also tended to be very relational database focused. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful
Very timely topic that is explained lucidly for the layman and expert alike.
The book presents the issues in a comprehensive and interesting fashion.
The book presents the issues in a comprehensive and interesting fashion.
Published 6 months ago by Science Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit dry, but important
This book is often tedious reading, but it is tedious reading about topics, approaches and philosophies that are essential in the emerging field of data science. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Jeanne D'Arcy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, great price in the kindle version
I bought the book for my IPhone. Great book. Enjoyed the price (.99 dls for the Iphone; 39 dollars for the paper back)
Published on May 28, 2010 by Carlos Casasus Lopez
1.0 out of 5 stars
Paradigms Lost
As a believer in the content world in which this book lives, I found great food for thought in the many researchers using sensor, analysis and inductive modeling. Read more
Published on May 14, 2010 by Mark Beaulieu
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