What could you do with 200 terabytes of data? 

As it turns out, astonishing things.  Particularly if you've accumulated the data with a strong point of view behind your gathering endeavors, as Deb Roy has done over the past three years:

Wow!  I hope you were able to watch through to the end — those last few minutes are magic. 

As is the case with the Salman Khan video I wrote about last week, Deb Roy's massive collection of video data is an example of a real option at work.  By taking the time to develop, install, and maintain these data recording systems, Roy and his team of researchers opened themselves up to myriad opportunity streams, some predictable, some serendipitous.  They certainly created value far beyond the costs associated with gathering up 200 terabytes of data!  The result is breathtaking, remarkable, and takes our culture to a new place.