Book Description

Inexpensive data storage and computational capabilities, together with the internet, have ushered in the Information Age, providing tremendous benefits that we are reaping with great success. However, there are negative side effects of easily available abundant information from diverse sources. Information has fostered a plethora of knowledge subjects that are not all equal. Vulnerabilities of the scientific method are getting exposed more often and thereby eroding science’s credibility with the general public. Our mental capacity has limitations in dealing with the quantity and variety of the information overload.Far from being just a criticism, Perils of Information Age is an intellectual trip based on thought experiments, head-smacking experiences, and curious observations. It lays out a structured framework that outlines how to assess and deal with the perils of Information Age—the impotency of certain college majors and academic training, the junk science behind statistical studies analyzing complexity, the analysis-paralysis of data analytics, and increasing strain on our cognitive abilities.