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By 2025, 70% of organisations will shift their focus from ‘big’ to ‘small and wide’ data, according to predictions by technology research firm Gartner. The company believes this change will provide better operational data, more context for analytics, and make artificial intelligence (AI) less data hungry.

What’s remarkable about the recent spate of flight delays is not so much there are so many, but so few. Today’s travel networks rely on such close co-ordination it’s surprising the connections don’t break more often.

I often travel by train as part of my work. But rather than having a daily short commute, my journeys tend to be less frequent and longer.

Ahead of each trip, I receive a reminder email with ticket confirmation, as well as advice about timings, luggage, connections, and Covid-19 precautions.

When I explain what I do – to family, friends and acquaintances – it can be all too easy to disappear into a world of jargon and abbreviations.

Job titles can also be unhelpful, rarely showing what’s involved in a role or what experience is needed.

When a scientist makes a discovery, you may ask “so what?”. That’s because the benefits of the discovery are an essential part of its explanation.

So, if the scientist discovers how to make a car go faster, you could describe the benefit as “reduced journey times” or “increased enjoyment”. 

You’ll have heard the term “road map” a lot last year. After all, the Government’s strategy to relax England’s Covid-19 restrictions was known as the “road map out of lockdown”. But is it the “road” or the “map” that is the key to finding a solution to a problem?