Advances in Stellar Astrophysics, Star Formation, and Exoplanet Science with Large Surveys

Large surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, are revolutionizing many areas of astrophysics. I present some recent discoveries that highlight the diversity of advances enabled by large surveys of stars and exoplanet systems, including: (1) that the most and least tightly bound binary star systems likely have a common dynamical origin; (2) that the properties of low-mass stars and of benchmark eclipsing binary systems can be corrupted through the effects of magnetic activity and of tertiary bodies; and (3) that the "flickering" of stars, due to the granulation of their surfaces, reveals the true physical properties of exoplanets. I close with some thoughts on the role of human visualization for discovery with big data.​