2015/08/19
The Information Turn
"In 1939 Shannon understood that the basis of genetics must be information, and that the information must be coded in some abstract algebra independent of its physical embodiment. Without any knowledge of the double helix, he could not hope to guess the detailed structure of the genetic code. He could only imagine that in some distant future the genetic information would be decoded and collected in a giant database that would define the total diversity of living creatures. It took only sixty years for his dream to come true."
See book review:
How We Know by Freeman Dyson | The New York Review of Books: Review of "The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood" by James Gleick
"In 1953, Watson and Crick not only described the double-helix structure of DNA, but also embraced the idea that genes contained a code that expresses information and thereby changed our view of life. This article traces how these ideas entered biological thinking and highlights the connections between different branches of science at the time, exploring the power of metaphor in science." Full article @ Cell
1952 – “Theseus” Maze-Solving Mouse @ cyberneticzoo.com
See book review:
How We Know by Freeman Dyson | The New York Review of Books: Review of "The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood" by James Gleick
"In 1953, Watson and Crick not only described the double-helix structure of DNA, but also embraced the idea that genes contained a code that expresses information and thereby changed our view of life. This article traces how these ideas entered biological thinking and highlights the connections between different branches of science at the time, exploring the power of metaphor in science." Full article @ Cell
1952 – “Theseus” Maze-Solving Mouse @ cyberneticzoo.com
Labels: cybernetics, information age
