One pop-sci attempt on this subject is "Programming the Universe..." by Seth Lloyd. I have lost my copy to the "friend-borrowing-black-hole" but I do remember the book having an actual equation or two. I thought it was fairly well written.
On Apr 29, 2010, at 9:47 AM, Owen Densmore wrote: >> Yet another interesting article from the economist. > > ---- Owen > > > I am an iPad, resistance is futile! > > Begin forwarded message: > >> A QUANTUM CALCULATION >> Apr 22nd 2010 >> >> >> A physicist argues that information is at the root of everything >> >> DECODING REALITY: THE UNIVERSE AS QUANTUM INFORMATION. By Vlatko >> Vedral. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; 256 PAGES; $29.95 AND GBP16.99. Buy >> from Amazon.com[1], Amazon.co.uk[2] >> >> >> ONE of the most elusive goals in modern physics has turned out to be >> the creation of a grand unified theory combining general relativity and >> quantum mechanics, the two pillars of 20th-century physics. General >> relativity deals with gravity and time and space; quantum mechanics >> with the microscopic workings of matter. Both are incredibly successful >> in their own domains, but they are inconsistent with one another. >> >> For decades physicists have tried to put the two together. At the heart >> of the quest lies the question, of what is the universe made? Is it >> atoms of matter, as most people learned in school? Or some sort of >> energy? String theory, currently a popular idea, holds that the >> universe is made up of tiny vibrating strings. Other equally esoteric >> candidates abound. Indeed, cynics claim that there are as many grand >> unified theories as there are theoretical physicists attempting >> unification. >> >> Now Vlatko Vedral, an Oxford physicist, examines the claim that bits of >> information are the universe's basic units, and the universe as a whole >> is a giant quantum computer. He argues that all of reality can be >> explained if readers accept that information is at the root of >> everything. >> >> So what is information? Mr Vedral's notion of information is not the >> somewhat fuzzy concept most people have of it, but a precise >> mathematical definition that owes itself to Claude Shannon, an American >> mathematician considered to be the father of "information theory". >> Shannon worked at Bell Labs, at the time the research arm of AT&T, >> a telephone giant, and in the 1940s became interested in how much >> information could be sent over a noisy telephone connection. This led >> him to calculate that the information content of any event was >> proportional to the logarithm of its inverse probability of occurrence. >> (Unlike many popular-science books that eschew equations, Mr Vedral >> includes a couple and tries his best to explain them to the reader.) >> What does the equation mean? As Mr Vedral points out, it says that an >> unexpected, infrequent event contains much more information than a more >> regular happening. >> >> Once he has defined information, Mr Vedral proceeds to show how >> information theory can be applied to biology, physics, economics, >> sociology and philosophy. These are the most interesting parts of the >> book. Of particular note is the chapter on placing bets. Mr Vedral >> gives a good description of how Shannon's information theory can be >> applied to winning at blackjack or in buying shares (Shannon and his >> friends made fortunes in Las Vegas as well as on the stockmarket). And >> his exposition of climate change and how to outwit the CIA make >> entertaining reading. One quibble: Mr Vedral often digresses from the >> point at hand, so the overall effect tends to be a bit meandering. >> >> Mr Vedral's professional interests lie in quantum computing and quantum >> information science, which use the laws of quantum mechanics >> respectively to build powerful computers and render codes unbreakable. >> There is a lot of discussion of both, which is very welcome because >> there are not many popular science books that cover these relatively >> young fields. Quantum computers, as Mr Vedral points out, "are not a >> distant dream". Though still rudimentary, "they can solve some >> important problems for us that conventional computers cannot." >> >> Unusually for a physicist, Mr Vedral spends a fair bit of time talking >> about religious views, such as how God created the universe. He asks >> whether something can come out of nothing. Throughout the ages >> philosophers and theologians have debated this question with respect to >> Judeo-Christian faiths, in which dogma holds that the world was created >> from the void, CREATION EX NIHILO. Others side with King Lear who tells >> Cordelia that "Nothing can come of nothing." Mr Vedral makes a >> persuasive argument for a third option: information can be created out >> of nothing. >> >> ----- >> [1] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0199237697/theeconomists-20 >> [2] >> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0199237697/economistshop-21 >> >> See this article with graphics and related items at >> http://www.economist.com/culture/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15949137 > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
