The availability of new sets of data has changed the way we live our lives. This article presents 10 examples of data which have changed everything from how we assess wars to how companies deliver milk.

1. Shopping: Supermarkets have always kept track of how people shop, but in the last few years the extent to which retailers collect data has rocketed. Using data collected through its ClubCard, Tesco, an online grocery shopping and delivery service, can predict when people will shop, how they’ll pay for their items and even how many calories they will consume.
2. Relationships: Dating site OkCupid.com collects user profiles and site message data from its 3.5 million active users. They analyze this and can calculate everything from the perfect profile picture (apparently, the perfect profile picture is taken on a high end camera, in mid afternoon, without a flash) to the right language to use when replying to messages (“your” beats “ur”, and “hot” is a turn-off, whereas “fascinating” is a turn-on). The data has also shown that on average, users add two inches to their height, and over-report their salary by 20%. Look out for data-based date advice.

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