What is data science?

To begin, let’s offer a definition of data science. According to Wikipedia, data science “is an interdisciplinary academic field that uses statistics, scientific computing, scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge and insights from noisy, structured, and unstructured data”[1]. It encompasses various techniques, procedures, and tools to process, analyze, and visualize data, enabling businesses and organizations to make data-driven decisions and predictions. The primary goal of data science is to identify patterns, relationships, and trends within data to support decision-making and create actionable insights.

You are not alone in your interest in data science – it was called by the Harvard Business Review one of the sexiest jobs in the 21st century [2], and stories of data scientists earning enormous salaries in the six-figure range are not uncommon. Data scientists are often looked...