Big data, long data, and history

Advances in all fields of knowledge have lead to a massive bulk of collective information, incredibly apparent enough that we have come to call this time we live in as the Information Age. Much premium is given nowadays to  big data, which are basically massive collections of data sets. It is helpful in studying any field, in doing business, in solving crimes, and probably in any intellectual work. With advancements in technology, working with enormous amounts of data is made possible, and many are now taking advantage of this. 

"But no matter how big that data is or what insights we glean from it, it is still just a snapshot: a moment in time." wrote Samuel Arbesman in an article where he argues that people are focusing too much on big data and that we should give more attention to long data, datasets that have "massive historical sweep", cutting across a huge span of time. This way we choose not to ignore changes (both gradual and drastic) that inevitably occur leading to the current issues of concern. For example, if I wish to understand a certain community, I would not make conclusions about their way of life with just observations of their present circumstances and everyday activities. Peering deeper into their past in a long timescale would give me a clearer and much complete understanding, because I would have answers to 'why' and 'how' questions. In a much more recent article, Arbesman wrote about a return of history at long timescales. A recent trend has caused many historians to deal with big datasets in short timescales. He highlights the importance of long timescales in history, that it does not only help us see slow changes in history, but also the fast developments as well. A longer timescale does not imply ignorance to events of short spans of time, but rather, it provides a richer context to any event within it. Therefore, it is crucial for us not to turn a blind eye to events in the past, including the not-so-immediate past.

The bulk of data about the whole universe will continue to increase and bodies of knowledge will keep growing bigger, but time will only move forward and longer.    

I end this post with a quote from Arbesman's article:

"Because as beautiful as a snapshot is, how much richer is a moving picture, one that allows us to see how processes and interactions unfold over time?"