A Conversation with James Gleick
summary
Starts from 1948 when scientists invent the bit as unit and try a technical definition of information, argues that information ranges from raw data to meaning, and rejects the claim of a coming singularity; recounts Ada Lovelace conceiving and writing programs entirely in her head for Babbage’s impractical difference engine, calls her the first programmer; discusses Twitter habits (follows about 50–60 people, avoids hashtags) and treats the social web as an overwhelming but manageable infosphere of signal and noise.
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chapters (5)
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