Like it or not, many factors like cheap storage are moving us toward Information Overload on a scale even Future Shock’s author could not have imagined.
Nowhere is that becoming more true than in Machine Learning and the Algorithmic-Pattern-Matcher-Meets-Server-Farm presently called, “Big Data”.
One of the first places outside Google and Facebook to have this problem? -Health Research.
The main issue with that much data is: How do you even begin to make sense of it?…
Well the folks behind the Unreal Engine for videogames put out a challenge, which the Oculus Rift software designers at Hammerhead VR answered.
And what they came up with is sort-of a Super Search Directory meets Circle-Chart.
Their Genome Browser, which looks a lot better than the old one, shows a circular graph of groups, which can be selected, and then drilled-down into for increasing levels of detail.
Right down to a single gene.
And because the future of medicine will depend on BOTH:
Algorithms sniffing through mountains of data looking for patterns or irregularities,
AND Humans picking out what the machines found (or didn’t) and then chasing down the Why & How.
A Scenario where the genome is not for a Fruit Fly, but a specific human person.
Which was then compared against the giant database in the sky for all known+solved+named irregularities, and also the suspected+unsolved ones.
And that profile is then storable, taggable, network-shareable, & flagged for problems in the present,
And Live-Updated in the future for new patterns that emerge as research progresses,…
Is one not too far off in the future.
But if researchers & doctors are going to chase down the hints the machine-logic eventually throws at them,
They’ll have to be able to SEE the structure first!
Algorithms can’t do everything.
…So, other than Pixar, who better than 3D Game Designers to help them visualize the most complex objects?
FTW!!!
So, In Other Words:
Check out the details at the Links:
NOTE: Sorry for the quality of the narration & visuals in the video. They could’ve done a much flashier job.
Photo/Video Credits: Genome Browser Video & Graphics in Screenshot by, HammerheadVR
“Love the Japanese but hate the people”, by Stefan Lins
“Data tables”, by Matt Mets
“Some cheerful data”, by Dirk Cuys
“1040”, by x6e38
“Cloud I”, by Otzara
Phineas Gage Connectome, by John Darrell Van Horn, et al
“Stethoscope 1”, by B Boy
“Happy Face Frisbee”, by Matthew Maaksant
Links:
• Source: UnrealEngine-Big Data VR Challenge
• via: Engadget
• More Coverage: TED-David McCandless on DataViz | UploadVR | TED Founder on Big Data | TR-Google Genomics
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