Futures - Cognitive Computing

"Cognitive systems represent the next productivity wave, with the ability to simulate the human thought process at extraordinary speed. They have the capacity to sense, reason and interact with people in new ways. They can process massive volumes of fast-moving data, recognizing patterns, detecting anomalies and making complex decisions in seconds. Their ability to adapt and learn over time and process natural language is what distinguishes cognitive systems from traditional analytics." (e.g. IBM Watson)

Question: Cognitive computing: Define cognitive computing. What are the technologies involved? Describe some possible applications. Using an example, show how cognitive computing works. What is IBM Watson? Explain the concepts and connection between natural language processing, machine learning and big data. Explain what opportunities cognitive computing offers and how it might deliver business value.