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Quote by Norbert Wiener

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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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“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.”

GivingFactsInformationExampleMessagesNegativeOrganizationProbabilityClicheEntropyIlluminatingDisorganization
Book:The human use of human beings: cybernetics and society
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“In a very real sense, we are shipwrecked passengers on a doomed planet. Yet, even in a shipwreck, human decencies and human values do not necessarily vanish, and we must make the most of them. We shall go down, but let it be in a manner to which we may look forward as worthy of our dignity.”

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Book:The human use of human beings: cybernetics and society
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“Our tissues change as we live: the food we eat and the air we breathe become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, and the momentary elements of our flesh and bone pass out of our body every day with our excreta. We are but whirlpools in a river of ever-flowing water. We are not stuff that abides, but patterns that perpetuate themselves”

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Book:The human use of human beings: cybernetics and society
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