Abstract

Exactly how big is big data? And, to what extent is that ‘bigness’ a material, technological phenomenon or a social, mythological one—or both? What precisely is meant by the term ‘big data’ at all? As we take up these and other questions in this chapter, consider the contemporary situation:

A company called Planet Labs has recently deployed a network of 100 toaster-sized satellites that will take daily high-resolution images of everywhere on earth. The goal is to launch thousands—a persistent near-real-time surveillance tool, available to anyone online. They call these satellites Doves.