A data journey: from obscurity to enlightenment – how far have we really come in 18 000 years? (EU Open Data Days 2025)

From sticks and shelves to servers, the journey of data reflects humanity’s enduring challenges and quest for solutions. Cave paintings marked the start of sharing knowledge to improve lives. Ancient libraries curated knowledge, often forcibly, echoing today’s concerns with open data. The 1600s saw journals and unethical clinical trials locking sensitive data behind paywalls – an issue that persists. Advances in ownership, preservation and accessibility, such as ontologies, have improved data’s societal reach, but challenges like security and digital obsolescence remain. This talk reflects on 18 000 years of progress and the role of the University of Luxembourg in the ongoing data journey.