Data vs Information

I often find that I have problems with people who confuse data and information. Data is often cited as proof that some proposition is true, but it is only when data is collected and presented in a rigorous organized manner that it becomes information. Let me see if I can give an example.

Data is the collection of instances of a specific occurrence. For example, four people on a deserted island are women. You know nothing about the gender make-up of the island's population. The number four constitutes data. While we need data to interpret the universe, data itself is insufficient. We need information. 

Now if I told you that the total population of the island was one hundred people, and four of them are women, you have not just more data, but enough data to start comprehending the nature of that data. But even this is insufficient. If I told you that the island had a population of one hundred individuals and ONLY four of them are women, you have have a more complete understanding of the gender make-up of the island. This last set of data now constitutes information.

An example of this is the recent controversy among some individuals concerning the circumstances of Damar Hamlin. Some individuals claim that his heart condition may have been caused by his Covid vaccination. They cite as evidence of this what they see as an increase in occurrences of heart conditions in young people that may be cause by the vaccine.

The problem with these statements is that they rely on data, but not information.

I am not a medical doctor, nor do I know the particulars of Damar Hamlin or any other individual who has suffered heart problems for whatever reason. But in order to transform this data into information, we need other specific data. This data includes: the number of people who have heart conditions; the number of people with these heart conditions who have received covid vaccinations; and the number of people who have these heart conditions who have not received vaccinations.

I sincerely hope that the makers of vaccines are collecting this information. I hope that if they do collect this information, that they share it. Until we have information, rather than just data, we're going to continue to focus on the wrong things. We'll focus on frightening claims of dangerous vaccines rather than on a rapid recovery for a great individual who suffered a heart attack while playing football.