Data blindness: Just ’cause it’s in a spreadsheet doesn’t mean it adds up
Why are we so swayed by system-produced data even though there is a fair probability that it contains some degree of garbage? Data – and more particularly, spreadsheet data – gives an undeniable sense of authority. Take a ‘back of the envelope’ calculation, key it into Excel and suddenly there is an authority to the numbers that belies its origin. Why?
