How Warm is Your Data?
“Good questions do not have answers at all, let alone right or wrong ones.” — Nora Bateson
The Ecologies of Warm Data
While the scientific revolution of the 1600s brought significant advancements to the way we study life, it also introduced a reductionistic approach that may have limited our understanding of living complexity. It's important to recognize that ecologies are comprised of multiple organisms in constant response to one another, and that life itself is built on communication and relationships.
Warm Data, coined by Nora Bateson in 2012, provides transcontextual information about the interrelationships that integrate a complex system, giving vitality to the system. Warm Data describes the interplay of parts in context and can be used to understand and improve relational dynamics in areas such as families, organisms, institutions, and organizations. Warm Data is the relational information; it’s not about the family members, but the relationship between them; it’s not about the organisms in a forest, but the relations between them; it’s not about the institutions of a society, but the relations between them.
Read how Nora Bateson promotes a coherent understanding of living systems in her three-part essay (Warm Data , Symmathesy & Aphanipoiesis) that explains and explores these new words that “hold the invisible world of possibility”.
Let’s look at how warm data can be used for different areas;
Unemployment - Cold data shows high unemployment rates, but warm data offers stories, cultural context, and systemic factors that contribute to the issue. Warm data offers new perspectives for holistic solutions.
Climate Crises - Cold data offers temperature and carbon levels, while warm data includes social, cultural, and economic factors like consumer behaviour, industry, and politics. Warm data reveals the interdependence of ecological systems and guides strategies for regeneration.
AI & ML Algorithms- While in the past we mostly measured data, today data is collected, gathered and harvested. Warm data identifies patterns and biases for empathetic solutions. It recognises emotions and predicts social behaviour. Incorporating warm data into AI and ML algorithms can help us create a more just and equitable world.
🌿 What areas would you like to use warm data to promote regeneration in your projects and daily life?
