Information Theory

Off-topic
1

I’m thinking about taking a course in Information Theory, so I was glancing at the wikipedia entry for it and found:

So, of course, I followed the link to Claude Shannon, and I found:

So, has anyone ridden with him? A rocket-powered pogo stick? Sounds amazing! :slight_smile:

2

heeey, cool!!
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the rocket powered pogo stick on here before (:

3

No kidding?
That’s great. I LOVE Shannon’s work and am trying to use his definition of entropy as a way to study the variability in soil systems. That is so cool.

Made my evening!

4

Information Theory is cool stuff. Shannon derived the juggling equations you see on t-shirts. His concepts form the core of modern digital communications systems, which was my emphasis during my MSEE studies.

Often I think of David Bagley (UW) as a successor to Claude Shannon, though humble David would laugh out loud at the thought. He’s a professional mathematician and actively does research into number theory, juggles clubs while circus idling a 20" UW, rides the giraffe and two-wheeler, and invented the crab cycle and is learning to ride that as well.

5

what’s a crab cycle?

6

you face sideways and pedal but go forwards… its crazy… like a crab walking… get it?

Chase

7

Here’s David’s thread, Blake. :slight_smile:

8

I’d love that flame thrower trumpet, myself…

9

I have never ridden with Shannon, but I work in the same building he worked in at Bell Labs. He was known for unicycling and juggling in the halls. Unfortunately the corporate rather than experimental/scientific mindset now dominates and unicycles are no longer allowed in the building - although I did manage to sneak one in once.

This statue of him sits at the main entrance of the complex:

10

  1. Dr. Claude Shannon is dead. Too late to get to meet and ride with him. :frowning:

  2. One of his other notable achievements is being one of the founding members of the Unicycling Society of America. His name is in the inside cover of every issue (or on the cover of the older ones). I don’t know if he ever met Bill Jenack, but they obviously knew each other.

  3. I got to meet him at the 1983 IJA Festival in Purchase, NY (no riding). This is documented in some older threads. Search on Claude Shannon.

11

This is too much for me to handle.

  1. Unicyclists know who my hero is when no one I know in the my science program at school does except one math whiz who only has heard of him.
  2. Someone had enough sense to commission a sculpture of him (I was a professional figurative sculptor for 10 years before I switched to professional student),
  3. Shannon unicycled.
  4. I am a member in good standing of an organization he helped found.
  5. Jjuggle works in the building he used to work in so when I make a pilgramage there maybe I can ride around the parking lot on my unicycle and not be ridiculed by at least one person!
  6. I have a book by someone who knew him.
  7. John Foss met him, too!. John, can I be your friend?

Okay. I can die now. :smiley:

well, after I raise my kid.

12

If you do make a pilgrimage to Murray Hill, NJ, let me know. I’ll ride around the building with you and try to help chase away security.

13

Certainly, Raphael!

People sometimes wonder about me, as if I don’t make sense with my wide variety of skills and hobbies. When the universe reveals connectedness between parts of me that seemed disconnected, it makes me happy.

14

Cool.

The people I most wonder about are those who don’t wonder.

15

Well said, Rahpael!

16

That’ll be the ‘greater interconnecteness’ of things then.

Cathy

17

That’s what makes unicycling so appealing to me. When your hobbies are odd and disjointed, the obvious thing to do is add another absurd hobby. There’s unity in disunity. :smiley:

18

So Mr Mucosa, I mean plegm, are you going to take the class after reading all this exciting banter?
B

19

That reminds me of one of my favorite movies. It’s kind of sappy sometimes.
A room with a view.

The young man in the movie’s answer to everything is YES. I think he’s referring to the greater interconnectedness of things you speak of. My favorite quote from the movie is " Beethoven always makes me peevish."

When I was about 17, I read a bunch af JP Sartre and of course ran into the existential wall, which’s obvious answer is NO-thing. It’s less obvious correlary is YES-thing. The answer is either, but not both and it’s impossible to fundamentally prove either correct or either wrong. Picking the answer then becomes a matter of “choice.” I chose YES. So of course when that movie came out it became my fav, even if I was reading into it more than warranted.

I am sure there are far better philosophers than I on this forum, but that’s my humble assessment of things and it’s kept me busy with ennumerate hobbies and a solid affirming YES about my place in the universe.

20

Well, as it stands, I’m only provisionally permitted to take courses until the official graduate application that I just turned in is reviewed and decided upon. So, assuming I’m fully admitted into the MSEE program, I’ll likely take the class in the fall. Otherwise, I guess I’ll have to work on my plans for world domination instead. :smiley: