Grammatical Man: Information, Entropy, Language, and LifeSimon and Schuster, 1982 - 319 pagina's Just as physics made sense out of the mysteries of earth, air, fire, and water, it can be said that the science of information enriches and unifies an amazing diversity of modern sciences, from physics and mathematics to biology and linguistics. Because symbols, messages, and codes are the stuff not only of computers and telecommunications, but also of living organisms and the forms of human knowledge, information, and thus information theory, is universal. This is the first book to tell the story of information theory, how it arose with the development of radar during World War II, and how it evolved. This thought-provoking book describes how the laws and discoveries of information theory support controversial revisions to Darwinian evolution, begin to unravel the mysteries of language, memory and dreams, and stimulate provocative ideas in psychology, philosophy, art, music, computers, and even the structure of society. The insights of information theory make us look at our world in an entirely new and different way--but perhaps its most fascinating and unexpected surprise is the suggestion that order and complexity may be as natural as disorder and disorganization.--From publisher description. |
Inhoudsopgave
Foreword | 11 |
Part One Establishing the Theory of Information | 13 |
The Second Law and the Yellow Peril | 15 |
Copyright | |
26 andere gedeelten niet getoond
Overige edities - Alles bekijken
Veelvoorkomende woorden en zinsdelen
abstract Alexander Marshack algorithms appear Aristotle behavior Berkeley biology CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Chomsky's communication complex concepts constraints context disorder dreams energy engine entropy evolution evolutionary evolved exist experience Gatlin genetic highly human ideas Ilya Prigogine important information theory John von Neumann kind knowledge language large number letters linguistics logic machines mathematician mathematics mation matter meaning mechanics memory mental message source mind modern molecules move mutations natural selection Neanderthal neoteny Neumann neuron Noam Chomsky noise Norbert Wiener number of possible organism particles patterns physical predictable principles probability proteins psychologist question random redundancy relationship remember ribitol right brain rules scientists second law sense sentence sequences Shannon simple speaker species statistical surface symbols syntax theorem thermodynamic system thermodynamics tion transformation uncertainty universal grammar UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA unpredictable variety Wiener words xylitol York