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Quote by Norbert Wiener

Work

The human use of human beings: cybernetics and society

This book examines the concept of cybernetics—the science of communication and control in machines and living organisms—and applies it to human society. The author discusses how information theory and feedback loops influence social structures, governance, and individual autonomy. It argues that understanding these principles is essential for using technology and knowledge in ways that enhance human dignity and freedom, rather than diminishing them. The text reflects mid-20th-century concerns about automation, control systems, and the ethical responsibilities of humans in an increasingly interconnected world. more

Author

Norbert Wiener
Norbert Wiener

Norbert Wiener, born on November 26, 1894, and died on March 18, 1964, was an American mathematician and a founding figure in the field of cybernetics. Known as the 'father of the information age,' Wiener made significant contributions to mathematics, physics, and engineering, particularly in the areas of stochastic processes, Fourier analysis, and control theory. more

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“The idea that information can be stored in a changing world without an overwhelming depreciation of its value is false. It is scarcely less false than the more plausible claim that after a war we may take our existing weapons, fill their barrels with information.”

“Progress imposes not only new possibilities for the future but new restrictions. It seems almost as if progress itself and our fight against the increase of entropy intrinsically must end in the downhill path from which we are trying to escape.”

“Just as entropy is a measure of disorganization, the information carried by a set of messages is a measure of organization. In fact, it is possible to interpret the information carried by a message as essentially the negative of its entropy, and the negative logarithm of its probability. That is, the more probable the message, the less information it gives. Cliches, for example, are less illuminating than great poems.”