Information, Entropy, Life and the Universe: What We Know and What We Do Not Know by Arieh Ben-Naim

by Arieh Ben-Naim

The aim of this book is to explain in simple language what we know and what we do not know about information and entropy — two of the most frequently discussed topics in recent literature — and whether they are relevant to life and the entire universe.Entropy is commonly interpreted as a measure of disorder. This interpretation has caused a great amount of "disorder" in the literature. One of the aims of this book is to put some "order" in this "disorder".The book explains with minimum amount of mathematics what information theory is and how it is related to thermodynamic entropy. Then it critically examines the application of these concepts to the question of "What is life?" and whether or not they can be applied to the entire General Concept of InformationShannon's Measure of InformationThe Case of an Experiment with Two Outcomes; Definition of the BitThe General CaseSome Elementary Properties of the Function HApplication of the Maximum Uncertainty PrincipleApplication of SMI to the English LanguageConditional Information and Mutual InformationRedundancySome Simple Examples of SMIThe Change in SMI for Some Simple ProcessesCan SMI Flow, or Be Created or Destroyed?Is Information Physical?Evolving GamesSummary of Chapter 1 Formulation of the Second LawAtomistic Formulation of the Second LawInformational Derivation of Entropy and the Second LawThe Second Law of ThermodynamicsThe Association of the Second Law with the Arrow of TimeDoes the Maxwell Demon Defeat Entropy or Is It Defeated by Entropy?The Change in Entropy for Some Simple ProcessesCan Entropy Flow Be Created or Destroyed?Entropy as a Measure of DisorderSummary of Chapter 2 Life Be Reduced to Physics and Chemistry?The "Book of Life"Application of Information Theory to DNATransmitting Information Between Molecules —and Indirect InteractionsInformation Storage and Processing in the BrainWhat Is Life?Fifty Years After What Is Life?Entropy and LifeIs Schrödinger's Cat Alive or Dead?The Origin and Evolution of LifeEntropy and EvolutionSummary of Chapter 3The Change in a Simple Expansion ProcessTwo Processes Involving Negative Change In EntropyEntropy of the Universe?Information and the UniverseEntropy and Information of Black HolesSummary of Chapter 4 Interested lay public in information theory, thermodynamics, biology and cosmology.

Genres: Science, Physics

Hardcover

First published May 18, 2015

Reviews

[Simona B]

Almost all the mathematics went right over my head, but in my layman's opinion Ben-Naim does a wonderful job of shedding light on slippery and not-so-immediate concepts which, in less capable hands, would simply be the objects of mystifying if inspirational and high-sounding catchphrases--the latter being a tendency common to many science-popularisers that is often the target of Ben-Naim's ire. Personally, I think that a healthy dose of sarcastic scepticism never hurts, so my reading experience was made twice as enjoyable by Ben-Naim's genuine desire to abide by the actual scientific facts at our disposal in the conviction that this is how you truly get to understand the difficult ideas this book deals with. Wholly recommended on my part.

[Wouter Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mathematical deduction of ideal gas law from information entropy is quite interesting.
Rest of the book did not interest me.