From Physics to Daily Life

14Conclusion

Marilena Streit-Bianchi

Since the dawn of humanity the wish to understand why and how has been the driving force of the human quest. The scientific community of the nineteenth century was based on rationalism, individualism and empiricism, and from this science has developed into a collaborative and multidisciplinary enterprise in order to deal with the cost and challenges of most research explorations (matter, antimatter, cosmology, genome, etc.). Today, contemporary science and discoveries have transitioned from specialist papers to the front pages of the newspapers. Moreover, the economic sphere has begun to play an important role, and fundamental science has become increasingly subject to economic pressures, as have the types of research carried out. The amount of money invested is continuously questioned, and the public demands to be informed on planned developments and their consequences. As a result, the communication of science has become much-valued.

Big Data is no longer limited to High-Energy Physics (HEP). Much has been achieved by dismantling preconceived barriers and working at the limit of what is achievable in physics and in the natural sciences. This has been made possible during the past 50 years thanks to the combination of new technologies which have opened the doors to new areas of human understanding. Big Data is synonymous with big challenges; a big adventure to achieve the exploration of the unknown through Big Data analysis. Consequently, ...