25 Interesting facts about data science

Data science fun facts

When you think of data, you typically think of lines of code and numbers. But data science can be used for some truly spectacular things, and you could play a game of Two Truths and a Lie with some of these. In fact, that’s exactly what DataCamp did one week on Instagram!

1. An AI-generated text prediction model was trained to write a Harry Potter novel.
2. The earliest case of data visualization being used to influence public policy was around getting better sanitary conditions for British soldiers.
3. AI-powered bees are being developed by the Wyss Institute in Boston to be used in crop pollination, climate monitoring, and surveillance, among other things.
4. The City of Chicago used R to predict which restaurants were likely to commit violations in sanitation inspections, based on factors such as time since last inspection, the number of nearby sanitation complaints, and the type of facility being inspected. Prioritizing these outlets for review, they were able to discover violators one week earlier on average.
5. An AI-powered software was created that could predict the results of the Oscars with 90% accuracy.
6. Many businesses make heavy use of Python, but Dropbox was built almost exclusively on the programming language when it was started up in 2008. So integral was Python to Dropbox that in 2013 they managed to convince Guido van Rossum, Python’s creator, to join their staff. He agreed, on the condition that he wouldn’t be put in a managerial or leadership role.

Facts about data science’s usage

As data changes the world, businesses are recognizing that it’s a force to be reckoned with.

1. Between the dawn of time and 2003, five exabytes of data had been created at Google. By 2010, this amount of data was being created every two days, and by 2021 it was being created every 40 minutes.
2. There are approximately 400,000 bytes of data for every grain of sand on earth.
3. Companies that make use of customer analytics are 23 times more likely to outperform their competitors in customer acquisition (nine times for retention), according to McKinsey.

1. The amount of marketing budget firms allocate towards marketing analytics increased by 198% in 2020.
2. In 2019 it was reported that only 27% of organizations were able to make full use of their data to generate actionable insights, with the growing data skills gap cited as a primary reason.
3. 70% of digital transformation initiatives by organizations fail to accomplish their stated goals. That’s where DataCamp for Business can help!

Facts about careers in data science

With all of the above in mind, it’s no wonder that data science and analytics are highly coveted skills. Those who possess these skills enjoy bright career prospects and an array of positions to choose from.

1. Data science was identified as the skill with the largest skill gap, according to a 2021 report by the World Economic Forum.
2. In 2020 the number of data science job listings outstripped the number of people searching for such jobs by a factor of 3 to 1.
3. The average salary for a data scientist is $100,000 USD according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and that of an analyst is $70,000 USD.
4. Many data scientist positions only require a degree in a quantitative subject. If you hold one in the following, you could already be eligible for these positions:

1. The UK’s National Health Service has estimated that by 2040 it will require 90% of its staff base to be data literate.
2. SQL and Python and the third and fourth most popular technologies, respectively, among professional developers.
3. 80% of a data scientist’s time is spent organizing data.
4. Effective data storytelling is one of the most powerful skills a data scientist can learn.
5. The number of data analysts has more than doubled since 2010.

Data science training and education facts

1. Bachelor’s degrees in data science were practically non-existent five years ago, according to Discover Data Science. Now over 50 higher education institutions in the US currently offer one.
2. In 2015 a poll among UK school students and their parents found that a majority of them preferred to learn Python over foreign languages.
3. Online learning is used by 63% of companies to train their employees in new skills and keep their existing ones sharp.
4. Data Science now drives more than 90% of the bidding for large companies' digital marketing spend on Adwords, Facebook and Amazon. Agencies such as NeuralEdge (Adwords) and Adverio (Amazon Ads) use Data Science to calculate optimal ad bids
5. 99% of organizations are actively investing in data transformation initiatives.

Data will change the world, and becoming data-literate will pay dividends for your career. Whether you fancy learning how to use data for number-crunching, storytelling, or making your workflow more efficient, we have it all here on DataCamp! And did you know that we’re running a limited $1 monthly subscription promo? Register today to take advantage of this amazing offer!