More Precious Than Gold ?

Gold has been much admired by human societies at different times and in different places. In times of economic turmoil many people invest in gold as a way to protect the value of their money. In 2011 the price of gold (love that data) on some markets exceeded $1900 an ounce. Black gold has been a metaphor for the importance and value of oil (which sometimes has sold for over $100 a barrel) for many year s now. But could it be that it will be data that will be the really valuable commodity of the future? And if so, what does that have to do with mathematics?