Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Big History – The Unfolding of “Information”

2018; Volume: 2; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.22339/jbh.v2i1.2254

2475-3610

Ken Solis,

Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life

Introduction -What is "Information?"*The challenge posed in defining "information" is perhaps best reflected in a quotation from Claude Shannon , the widely acknowledged "father" of information theory:The word "information" has been given different meanings by various writers in the general field of information theory.It is likely that at least a number of these will prove sufficiently useful in certain applications to deserve further study and permanent recognition.It is hardly to be expected that a single concept of information would satisfactorily account for the numerous possible applications of this general field.(Shannon, 1993, p180) Inadvertently supporting his contention, luminaries from different fields of study have offered varied definitions of information.The following are just a few examples: "The ability to distinguish reliably among possible alternatives."Claude Shannon, founder of information theory.(Schumacher, 2015, p6) "It from bit." John Wheeler, renowned 20 th century physicist.(Wheeler, 1990) "A difference that makes a difference."Gregory Bateson, anthropologist (Bateson, 1972) "The difference between maximum entropy and actual entropy."David Layzer, astrophysicist (Layzer, 1990, p28) "If information is fundamentally relational, then it makes sense that it is limited by surface area."Benjamin Schumacher, quantum information pioneer and last graduate student of John Wheeler.(Schumacher, 1915b, p550) I would suggest that Wheeler's and Bateson's definitions are pithy observations of what information does.In Wheeler's "It from bit" claim, he is stating that information results in the genesis of the "things" or structures of the universe as particles and even the entire universe developed from patterned relationships.Bateson similarly is making the claim that information essentially causes or results in