Is the Brexit vote successful big data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? How does big data enable Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you? And how are companies using big data to benefit from smart meters, use advertising that spies on you and develop the gig economy, where workers are managed by the whim of an algorithm?

The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand and solve problems. But Big Brother’s shadow hovers over it. Though big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state.

With big data ever-present, you can’t afford to ignore it. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg - a habitual early adopter of new technology (and the owner of the second-ever copy of Windows in the UK) - brings big data to life.

英国脱欧投票是成功的大数据政治还是民主的终结？为什么航空公司会超额订票，为什么银行会经常出错？大数据是如何让Netflix预测热门的，CERN找到希格斯玻色子，以及医学家发现红酒是否真的对你有好处？公司又是如何利用大数据从智能电表中获益，使用监视你的广告，以及发展临时工经济的，在这种经济中，工人的管理是由算法决定的？

我们现在获得的大量数据可以提供无与伦比的能力来进行预测，响应客户需求并解决问题。但是，"老大哥 "的阴影笼罩着它。尽管大数据可以让我们自由，提高我们的生活，但它也有可能创造一个底层社会和极权国家。

随着大数据的不断出现，你不能忽视它。知名科学作家布莱恩-克莱格（Brian Clegg）--一个习惯于早期采用新技术的人（也是英国有史以来第二份Windows的拥有者）--将大数据带入生活。