Response to Lecture: Information

During this lecture, the class commenced with a continuation of the history of communication. However, the lecture was mainly centered on the topic of information. Prof. Strate defined information as, "what is needed to reduce uncertainty." I think this definition possesses a somewhat philosophical nature. It made me question whether something can really be classified as information. According to the given definition, only new knowledge is truly considered as information. Furthermore, we discussed Claude Shannon and his Information Theory that involves the quantification of information. Entropy, the opposite of order and organization, is a way to measure information. It entails the randomness that exists, the different possibilities that can occur. Another interesting topic that was explained in class was the bit, a binary contraction of digits. They are basic units of information consisting of 1s and 0s that are used in computer data bases and kind of reminds me of The Matrix. In coherence to our discussion about Claude Shannon, we were also taught about his work, "The Mathematical Theory of Communication" where Shannon lays out the basic components of communication, which he considers the paradigm of communication with a scientific basis. Towards the conclusion of the class, Norbert Wiener is brought into discussion with talk about cybernetiks, the science of control. Wiener places great importance on the notion of the feedback loop. With the feedback loop, one can attain the key to control. The feedback loop also serves as the building blocks to the interactive technology that is present today.

History of Communication

Last nights class was very interesting. We applied probability, physics, positional notation, the telegraph etc. to understand how communications evolved. First, the telegraph was invented in 1844 and had to have wires. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, which had a complex wiring system, and is also the ancestor of the computer system. In 1897, Guglielmi Marconi invented the wireless telegraph in hopes that it would be a way for people to communicate with each other, but instead its main purpose was used for broadcast radio. Another important person to remember is Claude Shannon. His information theory laid the basis for electric computers and stated that energy is fundamental to the universe. Furthermore, information was defined as the opposite of entropy. In other words information is what is needed to reduce uncertainty and therefore, makes a difference. In addition, Norbert Weiner coined the term cybernetics for his science of control. This was the beginning of computer science and cognitive studies. It is very fascinating to see how these advancements in the past have shaped the communication we use now.

From Telegraphs to Cybernetics

Throughout Professor Strate' lectures he has illustrated the timeline of events that have strengthened and advanced our ways of communication. A simple machine as the telegraph eventually became the foundation of networking for an array of types of communication. A critical idea that was shared in this class was that of electromagnetism. This is the idea of a field of all types of radiation emitting in all directions to make such things as cellular devices and radio possible. The advancement of such methods as using teletype and the facsimile have become outdated and ancient relative to cybernetics and the modern day computer. Cybernetics was brought about by Norbert Wiener. Cybernetics is the science of control and Mr. Wiener believed that information was essential to control. Claude Shannon developed the information theory. This theory leads us to believe that the fundamental make up of the universe is energy. He also stated that everything has a tendency to lead to chaos whether it was entropic to begin with or not.  Wiener also expressed that every signal that is sent out is degraded in some sense and that to stop degrading we must use amplification and redundancy. Many of these theories are used in everyday life such as in the comparison of network television shows to television commercials. The idea of positional notation has rooted back from cultures and their monetary systems and is now used in many different ways. With time comes discovery and advancement and Professor Strate is diligently leading us through the history of how we have come to communicate in present day.