In 2008, Google developed a big data predictive model using Internet search terms that it claimed could track the spread of the flu faster and with greater accuracy than the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In recent years, however, some academics have questioned the model's accuracy. Moreover, the media has seized upon the model's limitations to debunk big data in general. This report examines why Google's experiment is both a positive demonstration of innovation and a cautionary tale for firms embarking on big data.