[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6052\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStopping big data from blowing our minds\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EEvery minute, the world generates 1.7 million billion bytes of data \u2013 the equivalent of 360\u0026nbsp;000 DVDs \u2013 from sources such as sensors for climate information, satellite imagery, purchase transaction records, GPS signals and simulation tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EFor example, the Large Hadron Collider \u2013 which famously discovered the elusive Higgs particle \u2013 generates data from 100 collisions per second. Meanwhile, the NASA Centre for Climate Simulation stores 37 petabytes of data \u2013 37 quadrillion bytes, or 37 times as much data contained in US academic libraries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EAs a result, the data sector is growing by 40\u0026nbsp;% every year, with important implications for storage and accessibility of the information. It also raises the question of how humans can make the most of all of this rich data without being overwhelmed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EThe answer could come via two EU-funded projects \u2013 CEEDs and VELaSSCo \u2013 which have brought together teams of leading experts from key disciplines to answer this question.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EJonathan Freeman, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, leads the four-year CEEDs project, which has created an \u2018eXperience Induction Machine\u2019 (XIM). The XIM helps humans navigate vast amounts of complex information, using virtual reality and wearable sensors that track brain waves, heart rate and other responses.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018This is where the worlds of big data and visualisations converge.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EAbel Coll, International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Spain\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u2018It turns out that only a small subset of sensory input reaches conscious awareness, yet the remainder is still processed by the brain,\u2019 said Prof. Freeman. \u2018This subconscious processing is very good at detecting novel patterns and meaningful signals. By unlocking the power of the subconscious,\u0026nbsp;CEEDs will make fundamental contributions to human experience.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EFor example, the CEEDs technology might guide a school child around data sets of interest \u2013 say of planets and stars \u2013 using virtual reality visualisations on screens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOverload detection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EImportantly, the child\u2019s unconscious processes would be monitored using sensors, detecting when they are bored and excited, and tailoring the exploration accordingly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u2018The system acknowledges when participants are getting fatigued or overloaded with information,\u2019 said Prof. Freeman. \u2018And it adapts accordingly.\u0026nbsp;It either simplifies the visualisations so as to reduce the cognitive load, thus keeping the user less stressed and more able to focus. Or it will guide the person to areas of the data representation that are not as heavy in information.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EOther possible applications for CEEDs include helping users inspect satellite imagery, oil prospecting, economics and historical research. The technology has already been used for two years at the Bergen-Belsen memorial site in Germany. Discussions are also ongoing with museums in the Netherlands, the UK and the United States ahead of the 2015 commemorations of the end of World War II.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EProf. Freeman said the idea could be expanded to areas such as retail. \u2018Imagine an online shoe store which has thousands of shoes. How can users make quicker and more objective choices? CEEDs offers quick feedback on what people like and don\u2019t like, based on brainwave response, eye movement and arousal. These implicit reactions can inform choice.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EHe said the CEEDs system could also be used for therapeutic purposes. \u2018There is scope for real-time therapy, where physiological measures, such as heart rate, arousal and gaze, are measured during sessions with an \u201cempathic\u201d counsellor.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAiding research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EMeanwhile, the VELaSSCo project is aiming to make big data more understandable and useful for scientists by integrating big data with visual simulations for use in research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EVisual simulations help to imitate real-world processes \u2013 for example simulation of planes is used in the aerospace industry to improve aerodynamics. Similarly, they can be used to predict weather and pollution across cities, model the aerodynamic behaviour of a Formula One car or investigate biological processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003ESuch visualisations rely on complex data sets\u0026nbsp;generated\u0026nbsp;by simulation tools. However, as technology expands, this data is increasing at an exponential rate, running into billions of separate records. Data has to be computed and stored on multiple servers, raising issues about how to access and manipulate the information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u2018Consider a simulation run on a Formula One car,\u2019 said Abel Coll, VELaSSCo project coordinator at the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) in Barcelona, Spain. \u2018There may be simulation results relating to the air pressure velocities around certain parts of the car; these results come from physics \u2013 these are the big data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u2018Now we have the big data, we may want to visualise them using contour lines or different colours to see the pressure of the air which is in contact with the F1 car. The problem is how to store and access the data \u2013 how do we manage this big data when it is distributed in different machines?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EThe VELaSSCo team, which includes experts in big data handling, advanced visualisation, engineering simulations and consultants from\u0026nbsp;industrial sectors such as aerospace, is hoping to create a \u2018simulation data analysis platform\u2019 for the scientific and engineering community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003EThe platform will store and access data to enable researchers to visualise the most detailed and up-to-date simulation results. It will include a database engine based on widely used technologies that organise and store a diverse range of large-scale simulation data sets for collaborative use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Default\u0022\u003E\u2018We want to work out how best to take advantage of the big data to provide further visualisations of the simulation results in a user-friendly way,\u2019 said Coll. \u2018This is where the worlds of big data and visualisations converge.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-mxdy-gh6thnhxteidmhxiixvc-yn5gdyd2lgj57uyzy\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-MXdY_GH6ThnhXTeIDmhXiixvc_YN5GDYD2lGj57uYZY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]