A universe from nothing is a new york time bestseller and the book stays true to the title looking at why and how the universe began from nothing. The current scientific consensus is that the universe expanded from a point of super high matter and energy density roughly. You emerged from this code, and within this code you are embedded, for you are built from this code. To some theorists, though, information is more than just a description of our universe and the stuff in it. The bestsupported theory of our universes origin centers on an event known as the big bang. The multiverse is a theory in which our universe is not the only one, but states that many universes exist parallel to each other. A thorough introduction to information theory, which strikes a good balance. Information theory was born in a surprisingly rich state in the classic papers of claude e. This is composed of all other kinds of information.
The origin and structure of the universe what is the universe made of. In decoding the universe, charles seife draws on his gift for making. Some astronomers turned to this idea simply because, at the time, there wasnt enough information to test the big bang. In the 1940s a competing hypothesis arose, called the steady state theory. At the moment of death, the totality of dna information is still present in all the cells, but the operational and communication information has disappeared. Stephen hawking on what makes a good theory and the quest. Dawkinss book was the first time that someone tried to make the theory very mathematical, and explain it fully, and tried to make predictions based on it.
Nov 30, 20 the beginning corresponds to what we have been calling pure information really, we cant ever be anywhere else than at this beginning because the beginning is always happening i. The book begins with terence mckennas line that we are imprisoned in some kind of work of art, and it is no exaggeration to claim that the book itself is. Universe simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Biocentrism theory of everything biocentrism from greek. Why information cant be the basis of reality scientific. Hes saying, how far can i go down in terms of simplicity, and try to explain everything in the biological world just in terms of very simple units in this case, of course, this. Cosmos and culture if we take seriously our scientific knowledge, we can redefine god in. Read the book and find out more about the universe and yourself. However despite the sensitivities regarding the publication of hawkings work this is still a really good book which can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in science.
Information theory studies the quantification, storage, and communication of information. The best books on quantum theory five books expert. A tutorial introduction, by me jv stone, published february 2015. The first involves the big bang, the cataclysmic event that brought the universe into existence some. Introduction to quantum theory i could tell you about the many universes in which bad things happen to people other than the people you love. I especially enjoyed all the jumping off points that i found in this book.
In decoding reality, vlatko vedral offers a mindstretching look at the deepest questions about the universewhere everything comes from, why things are as they are, what everything is. The case for dmt entities alien information theory. Its so dense there are flaps hidden within flaps that its one of those books kids and parents can dip into time and again. This book is 90% information theory textbook and 10% discussion of entropy and its relation to life. The origin of the universe scholastic books for kids. This book provides a good balance between words and equations. How the new science of information is explaining everything in the cosmos, from our brains to black holes is the third nonfiction book by american author and journalist charles seife. It was originally proposed by claude shannon in 1948 to find fundamental limits on signal processing and communication operations such as data compression, in a landmark paper titled a mathematical theory of communication. The big bang is thought to have been triggered by a. Information is the key to the mysteries of the universe, according to charles seife, author of zero and now of decoding the universe. Stephen hawkings final book says theres no possibility of. But the big bang is not the only proposed theory concerning our universe s origin.
A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. You can get it directly here elements of information theory 2nd edition the. Cosmos and culture if we take seriously our scientific knowledge, we can redefine god in a new and empowering way that expands our. The capture theory on the moons origins is back in vogue. A variety of different theories lend themselves to a multiverse viewpoint. Until the apollo landings in 1969, there were three theories about the origin of the moon. While i know a great deal about information theory, my knowledge of. In the beginning was the code, and the code was with the alien other. This may be chanted by a future band of gallimoreans, eager to spread the word so eloquently revealed in dr andrew r. Apr 23, 2015 a god that could be real in the scientific universe. Aug 04, 2015 according to leonard susskind bad boy of physics, our reality is much stranger than it appears to be and life, the universe, everything, might just be a holographic projection. Independent estimates based on measurements such as radioactive dating agree, although they are less precise, ranging from 1120 billion years. The holographic principle is a property of quantum gravity theories which resolves the black hole information paradox within string theory. But they also might reveal the true nature of the universe to us.
An introduction to information theory audiobook by john. A list of 16 new information theory books you should read in 2020, such as the. From entropy and the second law of thermodynamics to the big bang theory and the origins of the universe to quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, carroll weaves a lucid, enthusiastic, illuminating and refreshingly accessible story of the universe, and our place in it, at the intersection of cosmology, theoretical physics, information. The universe is the name that we use to describe the collection of all the things that exist in space. Aug 20, 2019 the holographic principle is a property of quantum gravity theories which resolves the black hole information paradox within string theory. The universe has a fixed amount of energy in it, and as this energy runs outso the theory goesthe universe slows down. Behind the familiar surfaces of the telephone, radio, and television lies a sophisticated and intriguing body of knowledge known as information theory. The book is explicitly meant for a general audience. Gleicks book is, among other things, an indepth biography of information theory, which the bell labs mathematician claude shannon invented. It is a code from which this universe and countless others emerge and unfold with infinite variety of form.
May 22, 2018 the first involves the big bang, the cataclysmic event that brought the universe into existence some. According to leonard susskind bad boy of physics, our reality is much stranger than it appears to be and life, the universe, everything, might just be. The big freeze is a scientific theory of the end of the universe. The universe through the eyes of an astronomer or astrophysicist is a fascinating place and a good book can give you a glimpse. Vedrals book spans many different subjects biology, thermodynamics, economics, sociology, quantum physics, computer science and philosophy each in beautifully and clearly written chapters, where his theory that information is reality or information is physical as he states early in the book s prologue emerges in all these different. It is made of many millions of millions of stars and planets and enormous clouds of gas separated by a gigantic empty space astronomers can use telescopes to look at very distant galaxies. This theory was born of the observation that other galaxies are moving away from our own at great speed in all directions, as if they had all been propelled by an ancient explosive force. Shannon 1 2 which contained the basic results for simple memoryless sources and channels and in. Mar 07, 2011 gleicks book is, among other things, an indepth biography of information theory, which the bell labs mathematician claude shannon invented in 1948 to provide a framework for improving the. Lots of people skip right to information theory, but a solid foundation will help your understanding. Based on his lectures at cambridge university, the author introduces the history of ideas about the universe as well as todays most important scientific theories about time, space and the cosmos in a easytounderstand way.
This is how they see what the universe looked like a long time ago. This book is by far the best scientific literary piece available that delineates every major theory ever proposed. The key theoretical foundation of vedrals book is information theory, but vedral extends this to a much broader scope indeed, the broadest possible as he explains that all reality is information, and that nothing exists outside the interactions between observers and the observed in keeping with a key postulate of quantum physics. Nov 03, 2012 the capture theory on the moons origins is back in vogue. Pierce writes with an informal, tutorial style of writing, but does not flinch from presenting the fundamental theorems of information theory. Complement the timelessly fascinating brief history of time with poet marie howes stunning tribute to hawking, hawking himself on the meaning of the universe, his theory of everything animated in 150 seconds, the story of how his mother shaped his genius, and the childrens book about time travel he cowrote with his daughter, then. In the universe, todays most influential science writers explain the science behind our evolving understanding of the universe and everything in it, including the cutting edge research and discoveries that are shaping our knowledge. Which is the best introductory book for information theory. Hes saying, how far can i go down in terms of simplicity, and try to explain everything in the biological world just in. Whats worse is the author then goes about slamming the ideas of erwin schrodinger, which is im sure the reason a substantial amount of potential readers by the book, in the least elequent, least substatiated fashion i can imagine from someone well versed in this area. What are some standard bookspapers on information theory.
The information universe the negative psychologist. In other words, there is a slow loss of heat, because heat is produced by the movement of. Introduction to quantum theory the good men project. The universe through the eyes of an astronomer or astrophysicist is a fascinating place and a good book can give you a glimpse of that world without requiring years of study. This list includes all books on different theories of creation of universe. If information is primary and the universe is fundamentally a computer, then it should be at least theoretically feasible, in principle, to simulate whole worlds on future supercomputers. This is however not information in the way that we normally understand the word, it isnt mere data were talking about here but rather it is sheer unadulterated newness. In stephen hawkings final book brief answers to big questions, published tuesday oct. History of the universe and our earth origins score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. While the spatial size of the entire universe is unknown, it is possible to measure the size of the observable universe, which is currently estimated to be 93 billion lightyears in diameter. The big bang is thought to have been triggered by a random fluctuation. Jun, 2019 and now we encounter an essential condition for the alien information theory. Once you have a good handle on number theory, take a solid statistics course.
An introduction to information theory dover books on mathematics. Then take a basic calculus course at this point, it will make much more sense to you than it did in high school or college, and finally move on to information theory. The book aims to be physics answer to philosophys questions and maybe after reading it you might, like stephen hawking, conclude that philosophy is dead at the hand of physics. Though it doesnt entail gigantic tubs of ice cream drowning everyone, it does spell disaster for everyone. Not all physicists really believe that these universes exist. The book of universes is a history book, a survey of the development of physicists theories about the universe. Stephen hawkings final book says theres no possibility. The most fundamental definition of reality is not matter or energy, he writes, but informationand it is the processing of information that lies at the root of all physical, biological, economic, and social.
This short book with great illustrations includes information not covered in the unit, making it a good extension to the unit. Book cover of arieh bennaim information, entropy, life and the universe. This is the theory that has permitted the rapid development of all sorts of communication, from color television to the clear transmission of photographs from the vicinity of jupiter. Why black holes could delete the universe the information. May 23, 2015 if information is primary and the universe is fundamentally a computer, then it should be at least theoretically feasible, in principle, to simulate whole worlds on future supercomputers.
Lee smolin reveals how math and cosmology are helping us create a theory of the whole universe. These distinct universes within the multiverse theory are called parallel universes. Everything is information we live in an information universe a universe that is made up of pure information and absolutely nothing else. Best astronomy and astrophysics books to read in 2019 space. An introduction to information theory continues to be. And since, of course, all matter is composed of these particles, this means that all matter can be defined by a finite amount of information. Oct 17, 2018 in stephen hawkings final book brief answers to big questions, published tuesday oct. Alessandro sfondrini and it was funded by snsf under. The book was initially published on january 30, 2007 by viking. Its impact has been crucial to the success of the voyager missions to deep space. Interesting facts about the universe universe today.
At the ground of our reality there is a code running. The supreme goal of physicists is to understand this order through laws that describe the behavior of the most basic particles and the forces between them. Information theory for the average person at its best. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. In this book seife concentrates on the information theory, discussing various.
There is no plot, and instead of reversals there is evolution a much slower phenomenon. A god that could be real in the scientific universe. If you think that is amazing, perhaps equally remarkable is the fact that we know this to better than 1% precision. Hawking takes readers on a fascinating journey through the telescopic lens of modern physics to gain a new glimpse of the universethe nature of black holes, the spacetime continuum, and new information about the origin of the universe. The wonders of the universe the good and the beautiful. One of the great insights of science is that the universe has an underlying order. See inside the universe takes us on a whistlestop tour of the universe, from stars and galaxies to the big bang and the big crunch, via astronomy and particle physics. An introduction to information theory audiobook by john r.