Decoding the Universe: How the New Science of Information Is Explaining Everythingin the Cosmos, fromOu r Brains to Black HolesPenguin, 2007 M01 30 - 304 pages The author of Zero explains the scientific revolution that is transforming the way we understand our world Previously the domain of philosophers and linguists, information theory has now moved beyond the province of code breakers to become the crucial science of our time. In Decoding the Universe, Charles Seife draws on his gift for making cutting-edge science accessible to explain how this new tool is deciphering everything from the purpose of our DNA to the parallel universes of our Byzantine cosmos. The result is an exhilarating adventure that deftly combines cryptology, physics, biology, and mathematics to cast light on the new understanding of the laws that govern life and the universe. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
REDUNDANCY | 5 |
DEMONS | 21 |
INFORMATION | 56 |
LIFE | 88 |
FASTER THAN LIGHT | 119 |
PARADOX | 153 |
QUANTUM INFORMATION | 180 |
CONFLICT | 217 |
COSMOS | 241 |
APPENDIX A THE LOGARITHM | 267 |
APPENDIX B ENTROPY AND INFORMATION | 269 |
275 | |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 285 |
287 | |
Other editions - View all
Decoding the Universe: How the New Science of Information Is Explaining ... Charles Seife Limited preview - 2007 |
Decoding the Universe: How the New Science of Information Is Explaining ... Charles Seife Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
able amount answer arXiv.org atoms beam become bits black hole brain carry caused cells classical cold collapse container create demon Earth effect Einstein electron energy engine entangled entropy environment equations equilibrium event horizon example experiment explain fact faster figure finite force four function gather genes happens heat human idea increase information theory known language laws less letter light look machine marbles mass mathematics mation matter means measure molecules moving Nature never object observer once organism particle path percent photon physicists physics position possible probability problem pulse quantum information quantum mechanics quantum theory qubit question redundancy relativity reservoir rules Science scientists seems sense Shannon showed side single speed stored stream superposition thermodynamics thing tion transfer trying turn understand universe wave