Search: How the Data Explosion Makes Us Smarter

Weitz—director of Bing, Microsoft’s search engine—redefines the term “search” in this thought-provoking debut. He envisions search as a virtual entity that will expand well beyond traditional online information retrieval systems and into a digital realm he refers to as the “hinge,” which will link the unique capabilities of people and machines, allowing search to work more like the human brain. If one bar is too loud for you and your companion, the search system on your personal device could interact with other systems to let you know the establishment next door is quieter and more intimate. Real-time data, using a series of sensors, also could inform you how long lines are at Starbucks or where the nearest hospital’s emergency room is. These are just two examples of countless search possibilities that exist, Weitz claims. The author acknowledges concerns regarding security and privacy issues and development of such search capacity. While Weitz’s writing is loaded with jargon and assumes readers have more than just peripheral knowledge of how data works, he offers a heady argument that encourages readers to think abstractly about future technologic advancements. [em](Nov.) [/em]