Citizen Data Science for Social Good in Complex Systems: Case Studies and Vignettes from Recent Projects

The confluence of massive amounts of openly available data, sophisticated machine learning
algorithms and an enlightened citizenry willing to engage in data science presents novel
opportunities for crowd sourced data science for social good. In this submission, I present
vignettes of data science projects that I have been involved in and which have impact in
various spheres of life and on social good.
Complex systems are all around us: from social networks to transportation systems, cities,
economies and financial markets. Understanding these complex systems may lead to
solutions for problems ranging from famines, global crises, poverty, climate change and
sustainable living despite over-population. Big data and citizen data science allows
unprecedented computational power and collective intelligence to be brought to bear on
fundamental challenges facing humanity like poverty, diseases, famines and developmental
challenges.