Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957
In this paper I analyze the historical case of how Shannon’s theory of information, among other alternative theories, began to be applied rapidly and systematically within thermal physics in the 1950s. After evaluating this theory and the intellectual context in which it is inserted, I argue that it...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sciendo
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | HoST |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/host-2023-0003 |
| _version_ | 1797768130432335872 |
|---|---|
| author | Anta Javier |
| author_facet | Anta Javier |
| author_sort | Anta Javier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper I analyze the historical case of how Shannon’s theory of information, among other alternative theories, began to be applied rapidly and systematically within thermal physics in the 1950s. After evaluating this theory and the intellectual context in which it is inserted, I argue that it was not the formal-conceptual features of Shannon’s theory but the particular motivations of influential scientists such as von Neumann, Weaver and Wiener that properly made it possible for information science to become deeply rooted in thermal physics during the 1950s, as shown by the proposals of Brillouin and Jaynes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:50:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d5c5123d4834c889b1afc9d1930f3b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1646-7752 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:50:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HoST |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d5c5123d4834c889b1afc9d1930f3b82023-08-01T05:16:31ZengSciendoHoST1646-77522023-06-01171173810.2478/host-2023-0003Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957Anta Javier01Departamento de Filosofía y Lógica y Filosofía de la Ciencia, University of Seville, Spain; antajav@gmail.comIn this paper I analyze the historical case of how Shannon’s theory of information, among other alternative theories, began to be applied rapidly and systematically within thermal physics in the 1950s. After evaluating this theory and the intellectual context in which it is inserted, I argue that it was not the formal-conceptual features of Shannon’s theory but the particular motivations of influential scientists such as von Neumann, Weaver and Wiener that properly made it possible for information science to become deeply rooted in thermal physics during the 1950s, as shown by the proposals of Brillouin and Jaynes.https://doi.org/10.2478/host-2023-0003statistical mechanicsinformation theoryclaude shannonbandwagonbrillouin |
| spellingShingle | Anta Javier Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957 HoST statistical mechanics information theory claude shannon bandwagon brillouin |
| title | Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957 |
| title_full | Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957 |
| title_fullStr | Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957 |
| title_short | Under Shannon’s Bandwagon. Rethinking the Reception of Information Theory in Thermal Physics, 1948-1957 |
| title_sort | under shannon s bandwagon rethinking the reception of information theory in thermal physics 1948 1957 |
| topic | statistical mechanics information theory claude shannon bandwagon brillouin |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/host-2023-0003 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antajavier undershannonsbandwagonrethinkingthereceptionofinformationtheoryinthermalphysics19481957 |