Understanding Data
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From the earliest times human beings have invented ways to represent the world around them. We have done this by using words, numbers, art and symbols.
Around the middle of last century, computers became another tool we could use. But computers have an advantage, because they do more than just represent data - they can process it! We rely on computer technology to reliably process huge amounts and kinds of data such as text, numbers, images, audio, video, animation and computer code.
Data versus Information
People often confuse the terms ‘data’ and information’. Imagine a list of numbers on a piece of paper. In this form, it is just data. However, if someone told you that the numbers were telephone numbers, then they would have some meaning. It is human understanding that changes data into information.
Data can be letters or numbers, patterns of dots, or electrical or light signals but it only becomes information when it is given meaning by people.
Capturing an analog world using binary code
Most of the information we receive from the world around us comes in quantities that vary continuously. For example, the changing frequencies making the music we hear, or the graduations of colour in an image. If values vary smoothly like this, we refer to them as analog data. These are impossible to represent using digital data, which describe only ‘fixed jumps’ in values.
In the past engineers used analog slides rules as computer devices. Modern computers are digital and need to convert or digitise analog data to process it.
Task 6 is on Google Classroom
Using Google Drawing, draw a separate picture of a dog and a pig. Don’t tell anyone what you're drawing. Once you’ve finished, show it to your partner and ask them to guess. See if they’re right.
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