A little etymology lesson: data derives from the Latin, dare (pronounced DAH-ray), "to give," and means "given." (Back when I took Latin, it was typically the second verb the conjugation of which one learned. The first was amo, "I love," the infinitive form of which is amare.) Data means "given." In the natural sciences, it's supposed to mean what we observe. It's supposed to be quite distinct from what we do with or infer from what we observe. To be data, information should be unadjusted … [Read more...]