I spent the day at Wolfram Data Summit 2010, where repository managers and experts from all over the world have convened in Washington to discuss the rewards -- and challenges -- of a new data frontier.

A series of speakers shared fascinating insights on the power of data, including examples of how data is at the forefront of new and exciting developments in the fields of medicine, health care, science, lexicography, media and more.

Take a look at some of the interesting projects presented today:

• Rapid Learning Project, aimed at finding timely, effective treatment for medical patients
• Encyclopedia of Life, documenting each species of organism on Earth

And two great examples of crowdsourcing:

• OpenStreetMap, an editable map that allows users to interact with geographical data
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  [Published in NonProfitBlogs - Read the original article]