With the provocative title “The end of theory”, an essay in Wired magazine on 23 June argues that, with the advent of huge datasets and Google-like algorithms, the scientific method has become obsolete.

Inevitably, this view has stimulated responses in the scientific blogosphere, not least on Nature Network, where David Basanta of the University of Dundee, UK, points out in his blog (http://tinyurl.com/4vc8pz) that models are “more than predictive machines” and that science involves true understanding, not just prediction.

Another Nature Network blogger, Bob O'Hara of the University of Helsinki (http://tinyurl.com/4tym73), says that “10 million observations on 6 samples is still only information about 6 samples.” The quality of data is important, as well as the quantity.

Basanta's question “Does any one else think that traditional science is a thing of the past and that cloud computing will drive us modelers to the employment office?” is answered by Nature Network users with a resounding “no”.