What Just Happened: A Chronicle From the Information Frontier
Occam’s razor
Odyssey (Homer), 2.1, 11.1
Ogilvie, Brian, 14.1, 15.1
Ohm, Georg
Ong, Walter J., 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5
oral culture(s), 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9
Oxford English Dictionary, 3.1, 9.1, 14.1, 15.1, 15.2
additions and revisions to, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6
editions of
goals of, 3.1, 3.2
growth of language and, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
online, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
sources of words and definitions for
spelling of words in, 3.1, 3.2
Page, Larry, 14.1, epl.1
Palme, Jacob, 15.1, 15.2
Palmer, Dexter, epl.1, epl.2
paper, 2.1, 4.1, 4.2, 7.1, 9.1, 13.1, 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 15.1, 15.2
paradox(es)
Barber
Berry’s, 6.1, 6.2, 12.1
challenges for symbolic logic, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
of distance in cyberspace
Epimenides’
Gödel’s insight into, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
of language and logic, 2.1, 2.2, 4.1
liar’s
mathematics as solution to
of perpetual motion, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3
Russell’s, 6.1, 6.2
self-referencing as basis of, 6.1, 6.2
of smallest uninteresting number, 12.1, 12.2
parallel processing, 4.1, 4.2
Parker, Moses Greeley
Parry, Milman
Pascal, Blaise
patterns
distinguished from randomness, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4
recognition of, in cryptography, 7.1, 7.2
in valuation of messages, 12.1, 12.2
in Voyager spacecraft messages, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3
Pauli, Wolfgang
Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich
Peacock, George
Peel, Robert, 4.1, 4.2
Peres, Asher, 13.1, 13.2
Perks, William George
perpetual motion machines, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3
perturbation studies
petroglyphs
pharmaceutical industry, 14.1, 14.2
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Newton), 4.1, 6.1, 14.1
Philosophy of Decyphering, The (Babbage)
phonemes, 1.1, 1.2, 8.1
photographic images, 12.1, 14.1, 14.2
physics, prl.1, prl.2, prl.3, prl.4, prl.5, 6.1, 6.2, 13.1, 13.2; see also quantum physics; thermodynamics
pi, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3
Pickering, John
pictographs
Pierce, John Robinson, prl.1, 8.1
Pinker, Steven, 3.1, 3.2
planimeter
Plato, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6
Pliny, 2.1, 6.1
Pluto, 3.1, 3.2
PM (formal system), 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
Pocket Telegraphic Code, 5.1
Podolsky, Boris
Poe, Edgar Allan, prl.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 14.1
poetry, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 12.1, 12.2, 15.1, 15.2, 15.3
Poincaré, Henri, 9.1, 12.1
polarization states, 13.1, 13.2
Pope, Alexander
Porsche
Preece, William
Preskill, John, 13.1, 13.2
Prime Computer
prime numbers, 12.1, 12.2, 13.1
Primrose, Frank
Prince
Princeton University, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
Principia Mathematica (Russell, Whitehead), 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7
Principles of Psychology (James)
Printing Press as an Agent of Change, The (Einstein)
printing technology, prl.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 15.1, 15.2, 15.3
probability
calculations for control of redundancy in messages, 7.1, 7.2
in measurement of information, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 12.1
as problem for quantum computing, 13.1, 13.2
qualities of randomness and
statistical analysis of language, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
in stochastic processes
in thermodynamics, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4
Turing’s ban unit of, 7.1, 7.2
Problems of Information Transmission, 12.1, 12.2
programming
to generate random numbers, 12.1, 12.2
Lovelace’s operations for Analytical Engine as, 4.1, 4.2
of Turing machine states, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 12.1, 12.2
proteins, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7
pseudorandom numbers
psyche
Psycho-Acoustic Laboratory
psychology, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9
Pulgram, Ernst
quadratic equations
quantum information science
computing based on, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
conceptual basis, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
entanglement in, prl.1, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
first encoded message based on, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3
future applications of
measurement units in, 13.1, 13.2
problem of black holes in, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3
scope of, prl.1, prl.2
Shannon’s contribution to, 13.1, 13.2
superposition principle in
quantum physics
of black holes
complementarity concept in
conflicting theories in, 13.1, 13.2
entanglement
incompleteness theorem and, 12.1, 12.2
see also quantum information science
Quastler, Henry
qubits, prl.1, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5
queuing theory
Quittner, Joshua
Ramanaujan, Srinivasa
randomness
Chaitin’s insight
coded data disguised by
complexity perceived as, 12.1, 12.2
computability and, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3
computer programs to generate, 12.1, 12.2
data compression and, 12.1, 12.2
definition of
frequency of, among numbers
information-carrying capacity of
interesting numbers and, 12.1, 12.2
mathematical proof of, 12.1, 12.2
in quantum cryptography
recognition of, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3
statistical normality in
tables of random numbers, 7.1, 12.1, 12.2
Ratio Club, 8.1, 8.2
Rattray, Robert Sutherland, 1.1, 1.2
Ratzenberger, Caspar, 14.1, 14.2
Rayleigh, Lord
“recoding” of information, 8.1, 8.2
recordings, 2.1, 5.1, 5.2, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 14.1, 14.2
recursive procedures
in algorithmic proof of randomness, 12.1, 12.2
in Lovelace’s operations for Analytical Engine
paradoxes based on, 6.1, 6.2
in Turing machine operations, 7.1, 7.2
in use of alphabetical ordering systems
redundancy
control of, for communication, 7.1, 7.2
in English language, 1.1, 1.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
in genetic code
information content and
in language of talking drums, 1.1, 1.2
mathematical modeling of
in oral literature
predictability and, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 12.1
to prevent telegraph errors
quantifying, in measurement of information, 7.1, 7.2
in quantifying message value
role of, in language, 1.1, 1.2, 7.1
significance of, in cryptanalysis
Regiomontanus
relays, electrical, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
“Reliable Circuits Using Less Reliable Relays” (Shannon)
Reuss, Christoph
Revere, Paul, 1.1, 7.1
rhyme
rhythm
r /> ribosomes
RNA, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 11.1, 13.1, 13.2
RNA Tie Club, 10.1, 10.2
Roget, Peter
Romme, Gilbert
Roosevelt, Franklin D., prl.1, prl.2, 7.1
Rosen, Nathan
Ross, Alex
RSA encryption
Russell, Bertrand, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 12.1
Russell’s paradox, 6.1, 6.2, 12.1
Safire, William, 3.1, 11.1
Sagan, Carl
sampling, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 12.1
Sapir, Edward
Savage, Leonard, 8.1, 8.2
Schilling, Pavel
Schrödinger, Erwin, 9.1, 10.1, 10.2, 13.1
science
as algorithmic process, 12.1, 12.2
data compression in laws of
evolution of language for development of, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
limits to knowledge in, 12.1, 12.2
in Soviet Union
see also specific discipline
science fiction, epl.1, epl.2
Scientific American, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 11.1, 12.1
Scott, E. Erskine
search engines, 15.1, epl.1, epl.2, epl.3
second law of thermodynamics, 8.1, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5
Secret Corresponding Vocabulary, The (Smith)
self-awareness, prl.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
Selfish Gene, The (Dawkins), 10.1, 11.1, 11.2
selfish genes, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 11.1
self-organizing systems
self-referencing, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2
self-replication
as ability of living organisms
of chain letters, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3
crystal capacity for
disease analogy, 11.1, 11.2
DNA
machine, 8.1, 8.2
as mission of genes, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7
through imitation
see also meme(s)
semiconductor
sensory processing
server farms, 11.1, 14.1
set theory, 6.1, 6.2
Shaffner, Taliaferro
Shakespeare, William, 3.1, 3.2
Shannon, Betty Moore, 7.1, 7.2
Shannon, Catherine Wolf
Shannon, Claude, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 13.1
ballistics research of, 6.1, 6.2
at Bell Labs, prl.1, prl.2, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5
in Conference on Cybernetics, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8
cryptography work of, prl.1, prl.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7
data compression studies of, prl.1, prl.2, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3
early life and education, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
early studies in symbolic logic, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5
information storage studies of, 7.1, 7.2
Kolmogorov and, 12.1, 12.2
master’s thesis of, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
maze-navigating machine of, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5
on meaning in messages, prl.1, 7.1
measurement of information by, prl.1, 6.1, 6.2, 9.1, 9.2, 14.1
at MIT, prl.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 8.1, 12.1
at Princeton, 6.1, 6.2
quantum information science and, 13.1, 13.2
statistical analysis of language by, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
study of redundancy in language by, 1.1, 1.2, 7.1, 7.2
theory of information, prl.1, prl.2, prl.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10, 7.11, 7.12, 7.13, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
on thinking machines, 8.1, 8.2
Turing machine analysis by
Wiener and, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 9.1, 9.2
work with Differential Analyzer, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
Shannon, Mabel Catherine Wolf
Shannon, Norma Levor, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
Shannon entropy, 7.1, 7.2, 10.1, 10.2
Shannon-Fano coding
Shannon limit
Shaw, George Bernard
Shockley, William
Shor, Peter, 13.1, 13.2
signal distortion; see noise
signals and signaling
Babbage’s occulting light for
brain function as
fire beacons
historical evolution of, 1.1, 1.2
lighthouses
nature of telephone communication, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6
in neurological disorders
power of writing, 2.1, 2.2
in telegraphy before electricity, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6
in telegraphy before Morse code, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5
for telephone switching, 6.1, 6.2
see also Morse code
signal-to-noise ratio, 8.1, 8.2, 15.1
Simpson, John, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5
simultaneity
Six Degrees of Separation (Guare), epl.1, epl.2
Skinner, B. F.
Smalley, Sondra
small-world networks, epl.1, epl.2
Smee, Alfred
Smith, Francis O. J., 5.1, 5.2
Smolin, John
social sciences, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
Solomonoff, Ray, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4
Sömmerring, Samuel Thomas von
Sophocles, 14.1, 15.1
Southwell, Robert
Soviet Union, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3
space exploration
Speculum Maius (Vincent of Beauvais)
spelling, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4
Spender, Stephen
Sperry, Roger
“spooky action at a distance,” (Einstein), 13.1, 13.2
Sprat, Thomas, 2.1, 3.1
statistical analysis, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 9.1, 9.2, 12.1
steam power, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 9.1, 9.2
Stent, Gunther, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3
Stevin, Simon
stochastic processes, 7.1, 7.2
Stoppard, Tom, 9.1, 9.2, 14.1
storage of information
Shannon’s early calculations on, 7.1, 7.2
sources of confusion in, 14.1, 14.2
trends in, 14.1, 14.2
Streufert, Siegfried, 15.1, 15.2
Strogatz, Steven, epl.1, epl.2
Stuart, Gilbert
Suetonius
superposition of states, 13.1, 13.2
Surowiecki, James
surprise, as feature of information, 7.1, 9.1
Susskind, Leonard
syllabary
symbolic logic
application to genetics, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
to avoid paradox
conceptual basis, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
conceptual origins of computers in, 6.1, 6.2
to describe communication systems
to describe relay circuits, prl.1, 6.1, 6.2
goals of Principia Mathematica, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
incompleteness of formal systems of, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1
as mechanical operation, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2
promise of, 6.1, 6.2
search for perfect system of
symbols and symbol sets
in Babbage’s mechanical notation, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1
for cryptography
fo universal language
in Lovelace’s game solution formula
for measurement of information, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
for perfect language
redundancy of communication determined by, 1.1, 1.2
in structure of language
for Turing machine
see also alphabet(s); code; symbolic logic; writing
Szilárd, Leó, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 13.1
“Table Alphabeticall, A” (Cawdrey), 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.19
Table of Constants of the Class Mammalia (Babbage)
Table of the Relative Frequency of the Causes of Breaking of Plate Glass Windows (Babbage)
Table of Triangular Numb
ers, (Babbage)
Tables for the Improvement of Navigation (Briggs)
Table to find the Height of the Pole (Briggs)
Tafelen van Interest (Stevin)
Talbot, William Fox
talking drums, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12
Talking Drums of Africa, The (Carrington)
Tawell, John
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre
telegraphy, prl.1, 1.1, 4.1
address codes, 14.1, 14.2
Baudot code for
bubble
cipher and compression systems for, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6
as commercial business, 5.1, 5.2
commercial interest in, 5.1, 5.2
conceptual understanding of, 5.1, 5.2
early systems for, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12
electrical relays in
before electricity, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4
in England, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
errors in
in France, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8
growth of, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9
infrastructure of
invention of, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4
as medium, 5.1, 5.2
operator’s key
perception of time and, 5.1, 5.2
preservation of messages sent by, 5.1, 5.2
private ciphers to reduce cost of, 5.1, 5.2
public interest in codes and, 5.1, 5.2
in Soviet Union
statistical structure of language in, 7.1, 7.2
telephony and, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
trans-Atlantic, 5.1, 5.2
waveform analysis in
weather reporting and, 5.1, 5.2
see also Morse code
telephony
architecture and
barbed-wire networks
biological metaphors for
commercial applications of, 6.1, 6.2
concern about social effects of
demand for information and, 15.1, 15.2
electrical engineering requirements of, 6.1, 6.2
evolution of switching technology for, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
farmer cooperative networks of
growth of, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
measurement of information carried by, prl.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5
printed directories, 6.1, 6.2
relays in
signal distortion in, prl.1, prl.2
in Soviet Union
telephotography, 6.1, 6.2
teleportation, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
television, prl.1, prl.2, 7.1, 11.1, 11.2
Teller, Edward
Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, 4.1, 4.2
Terhal, Barbara
Théorie des fonctions analytiques (Lagrange)
Theory of Heat (Maxwell)
thermodynamics
of computation, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
concept of entropy in, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3
conceptual evolution of, 9.1, 9.2
first law of
of life
molecular fluctuations in, 9.1, 9.2
probability in, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4