Our current era of Big Data is not without precedent. Throughout human history, societies have experienced periods of information and data explosion, triggered by the emergence of new technologies and social and epistemic shifts. At such moments, previously obscure, unquantifiable or inconsequential forms of knowledge have suddenly become relevant, authoritative and actionable, informing not only political discourse and decision-making, but also efforts to understand the patterns of our universe.

This seminar explores the epistemologies, technologies, practices and politics of data in global historical contexts. Tracing the evolution of humanity’s relationship with data from early record keeping to the current era of big data, we examine how notions of truth, knowledge and governance have been shaped by changing data capabilities across time and cultures.