As Sugar walked home, she couldn’t stop thinking about the potential of using data to solve problems at school. She knew her father was passionate about the subject and wanted to tap into his expertise. When she finally arrived home, she eagerly waited for her father’s return. As soon as he walked through the door, she couldn’t contain her excitement and blurted out, “Papa, why do you love working with data so much?”
“Wow, that came out of nowhere,” her father smiled.
Sugar replied, “Well, Evyn and I have identified a problem at school that we believe we can solve using data and information. I was hoping you could share your insights with us.”
Her father responded, “I believe that the more we know about something, the easier it becomes to solve problems. Let me tell you a story. Have you heard of Columbus?”
“He discovered America, right?”, replied Sugar.
“Yes, he did. The thing is that he was on his way to discover India. Which is why when he got to America, he just called them Indians.”
“Anyhow, the story goes that after arriving in the Caribbean, Columbus and his crew faced a problem: they were running out of food. Columbus needed to restock his supplies, but the native people he met were hesitant to trade with him. Columbus, who was familiar with astronomy, knew that there was going to be a lunar eclipse soon. He used this knowledge to his advantage.”
“Columbus told the natives that he had the power to make the moon disappear and that he would do so as punishment for their refusal to trade. When the eclipse occurred, the natives were terrified and believed that Columbus had the power to control the moon. They quickly agreed to trade with him for food.”
“The Columbus story shows how data, in this case, knowledge about astronomy, can be used to manipulate people. It highlights the importance of using data ethically and responsibly.” finished her father and then waited for Sugar to chime in.
“I am not sure I like that story”, said Sugar
I know, I know” said her father.
“Let me tell you another story. This is folklore from India” he continued
Sugar loved hearing about stories from India because that’s where his father was born and had moved to America many years ago.
“Once upon a time, there was a cruel and wealthy king who enjoyed playing chess. He had all the luxuries in the world, but his people were poor and suffering. One day, he issued a challenge to his subjects. He would play a game of chess with anyone who could defeat him. If they won, they could ask for any reward they wanted.”
Sugar gasped. “That’s quite a challenge. Did anyone accept it?”
“Yes,” her father replied. “A young girl from a poor village stepped up to play against the king. She was known in her village for her intelligence and strategic thinking, so she thought she had a chance.”
“What did she want for a reward?” Sugar asked.
“Well, the king was so confident in his abilities that he told her she could ask for anything, even half his kingdom.”
The two of them settled down as her father continued the story.
The game was intense, but the young girl managed to outsmart the king and won the game. The king was furious that he had lost and couldn’t believe that a mere peasant had beaten him. He asked the girl what she wanted for her reward.
The girl thought for a moment and then said, “I want one grain of rice for the first square of the chessboard, two grains for the second square, four grains for the third square, and so on, doubling the number of grains for each subsequent square of the chessboard.”
The king was relieved at first, thinking that the girl had asked for such a small reward. However, as his advisors started calculating the number of grains of rice needed for the rest of the chessboard, they realized that the amount was so huge that it was impossible to fulfill. The king was shocked and angry, but he had given his word and had to honor the girl’s request.
The girl was kind hearted and asked the king to make sure that everyone in the kingdom is given enough food to have a good life and that he should treat them with love and respect.
The girl’s cleverness and her kind heartedness amazed Sugar.
Her father added “It just goes to show that even the smallest actions can have a big impact.”
Sugar nodded in agreement. “That’s true. And it’s amazing how the girl used the king’s own game to help her people.”
You see, you can use data to do good and bad things, your intentions matter”
“Yes,” her father said. “It’s a lesson for all of us to use our talents and resources for the greater good. And who knows, maybe one day you’ll use data to solve a problem that will benefit many people.”
Sugar smiled. “I hope so, Papa. I really do.”
… to be continued
DISCLAIMER: I used “AI as a Peer” for this post. In other words, the original ideas were created by me, but I used AI to suggest some dramatic elements to the story. I also used “AI as an assistant” for punctuation and grammar. The title of the story was suggested by AI.
Data Journey 