The Ascent of Information: Books, Bits, Genes, Machines, and Life's Unending Algorithm

by Caleb Scharf

Your information has a life of its own, and it's using you to get what it wants.

“Full of fascinating insights drawn from an impressive range of disciplines, The Ascent of Information casts the familiar and the foreign in a dramatic new light.” —Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe

One of the most peculiar and possibly unique features of humans is the vast amount of information we carry outside our biological selves. But in our rush to build the infrastructure for the 20 quintillion bits we create every day, we've failed to ask exactly why we're expending ever-increasing amounts of energy, resources, and human effort to maintain all this data.

Drawing on deep ideas and frontier thinking in evolutionary biology, computer science, information theory, and astrobiology, Caleb Scharf argues that information is, in a very real sense, alive. All the data we create--all of our emails, tweets, selfies, A.I.-generated text and funny cat videos--amounts to an aggregate lifeform. It has goals and needs. It can control our behavior and influence our well-being. And it's an organism that has evolved right alongside us.

This symbiotic relationship with information offers a startling new lens for looking at the world. Data isn't just something we produce; it's the reason we exist. This powerful idea has the potential to upend the way we think about our technology, our role as humans, and the fundamental nature of life.

The Ascent of Information offers a humbling vision of a universe built of and for information. Scharf explores how our relationship with data will affect our ongoing evolution as a species. Understanding this relationship will be crucial to preventing our data from becoming more of a burden than an asset, and to preserving the possibility of a human future.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Technology, Philosophy, Computer Science, Sociology, Biology

352 pages, Hardcover

Published June 15, 2021

About the author

Caleb Scharf is a scientist, writer, and speaker. His research career has spanned cosmology, astrophysics, and astrobiology. He is Director of Astrobiology at Columbia University in New York where he pursues fundamental questions about the nature of life in the universe. He is a prolific, critically acclaimed, writer and scientific explainer, with several popular science books and hundreds of articles appearing in publications such as Scientific American, Nautilus, Aeon, and The New Yorker. His public lectures and events have taken him around the globe and he is a frequent consultant for a variety of TV and media science productions. His mantra is: Imagine. Think. Discuss. Repeat.

Reviews

[Radiantflux · Rating 2 out of 5]

20th book for 2022.

Lots of words without a lot to say.

2-stars.

[B. Rule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, that was a lot of words for little information. Scharf goes broad but he doesn't go deep, collecting eclectic scraps of ideas from all kinds of places (khipu knots, Boltzmann brains, Wheeler's "it from bit", Claude Shannon, back-of-the-envelope calculations on the total amount of processing power of the ecosystem vs. human-created data, the simulation hypothesis, etc.). If you're a reader of many pop-sci books, lots of this stuff will be familiar to you.

So the real question is what he can assemble with these off the shelf ingredients, and the answer is... not much. He:
(i) coins the term dataome to refer to the sum total of information processing and storage mechanisms in our built environment (absolute dog of a term, truly A++ terrible work);
(ii) weirdly turns the increase in entropy into a goal instead of a fundamental constraint on the universe;
(iii) marvels that life is basically a long-lived computation maaaaaaan; and
(iv) counsels that biological life can become the mitochondria of a future dominated by AI, basically kept around as the ideas guy for our less-creative robot overlords.

I guess good job managing expectations at least?

A lot of the ideas here are cool, but their coolness largely precedes Scharf's contributions. He does do a good job presenting thought experiments with new perspectives on our data ecosystem. (I'm not saying dataome; it's a goddamn stupid word.) He's right that that data is growing exponentially, and that it appears to be subject to selection pressures that bear some resemblance to natural processes if one squints just right. But the idea that our dataome (damn it!) is itself a living organism, while interesting food for thought, is just too half-baked. It isn't self-sustaining in the same way as life, nor is it clear what the metaphor of "life" contributes to the concept anyway. I guess as low-level propaganda for Roko's Basilisk, maybe it's useful. (I am shocked that one didn't make it into this book.)

I found this book especially frustrating because it's right in my wheelhouse. I do believe information is fundamental to reality in some way; I think it's worth considering how we shape reality in a participatory universe; I am interested in the ultimate fate of the universe and whether anything can be rescued from the cold inert future of heat death, etc. It talks about all that stuff, so it should be great! But it felt like a layman's condensation of big ideas, and a lot got lost in the translation. While I didn't hate this, I can't in good conscience recommend it when there's so much good contemporary science writing generating real insights from the same material.

[Laurent Franckx · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, the book contains a lot of interesting information (pun not intended).
But that doesn't make the end result worthwhile reading.
The book consists in an endless flow of meandering thoughts, but, at the end of the day, I still have no idea what the author is trying to say.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to evaluate because I went back in forth between appreciating what was written And laughing at the absolutely incorrect descriptions in areas of current technology. I enjoyed the author writing about his peers' work and discussion (I obtain several book sources by looking at the mentioned researchers and their work). I'd recommend reading the book but advise readers to do their homework on some of the more outrageous descriptions by the author (hashes are not proof of work; blockchain used that tool; efficiency of semiconductors has increased; we use more energy in computing Because we do more computing).

P.S. I was dubious about the coinage of the author's term "dataome" (used through the book) and continued mention of Dawkins selfish gene crap... I ask Perplexity AI about the apparent inappropriate use of the ome/omic suffix with the data root... at first their answer agreed with my surmise:
an author uses ome to coin the term dataome to mean the collection of data of a species of intelligent beings. in my opinion this is bad usage but it's not clear to me why... it is clearly not related to a measured substance from biology (as data is not a physical substance but the content of the information may be). based on this context what's your opinion on the new word dataome?
Answer
Your intuition about the term "dataome" being problematic is well-founded, and there are several reasons why this usage might be considered suboptimal:
Inconsistency with established usage:
While "-ome" has been extended beyond its original biological context, it typically refers to complete sets of biological entities or processes (e.g., genome, proteome, metabolome). "Data" is an abstract concept rather than a biological entity, making "dataome" somewhat incongruous with established patterns.
Lack of specificity:
"Dataome" doesn't clearly convey what kind of data it encompasses. Is it all digital data? All recorded information? The ambiguity could lead to confusion.
Redundancy:
"Data" already implies a collection or set. Adding "-ome" doesn't necessarily provide additional meaning or clarity.
Potential for misinterpretation:
In biology, "-ome" often implies a complete set that can be studied systematically. The totality of data for a species might not be as clearly defined or systematically analyzable as, say, a genome.
Overextension of the suffix:
While "-ome" has been used creatively in some contexts, overuse or misuse can dilute its meaning and usefulness.
However, it's worth noting that language evolves, and neologisms often face initial resistance. If "dataome" proves useful and gains acceptance in its field, it could become an established term despite these initial concerns.
Alternative suggestions might include "data corpus," "information aggregate," or "data ecosystem," depending on the precise meaning the author intends to convey.

Later after seeing the mention of Holobiont concept was related to dataome I asked Preplexity if that made for a different answer... they said:
The connection between the concept of "dataome" and "holobiont" does provide additional context that somewhat alters the perspective on the coined term "dataome," but it doesn't entirely resolve the issues with its usage.
The holobiont concept refers to a host organism and its associated microbial communities as a single ecological unit15. This idea emphasizes the interdependence between a host and its microbiome, recognizing that these components function together as an integrated system.
By drawing a parallel between the "dataome" and the holobiont concept, the author seems to be suggesting that the totality of data associated with a species of intelligent beings is as integral to their existence as the microbiome is to its host. This analogy does provide some justification for the term:
Interconnectedness: Just as a holobiont considers the host and microbiome as interconnected, the dataome concept implies a deep connection between intelligent beings and their collective data.
Ecosystem approach: The holobiont view considers the host-microbe system as an ecosystem4. Similarly, the dataome could be seen as an information ecosystem essential to the species.
Evolutionary implications: Holobiont research considers how the host-microbe relationship affects evolution5. The dataome concept might similarly imply that the data ecosystem influences the evolution of intelligent species.
However, some issues with the term "dataome" persist:
Biological vs. informational: While the holobiont concept deals with biological entities, the dataome is an abstract, informational construct, making the analogy imperfect.
Inheritance mechanisms: Holobionts have complex but biological mechanisms of inheritance1. The inheritance or transmission of a "dataome" would be fundamentally different.
Scientific precision: The holobiont concept, while debated, has a more precise scientific definition and research framework25. "Dataome" remains a more speculative and less well-defined term.
In conclusion, while the holobiont analogy provides some context that makes the term "dataome" more understandable, it doesn't fully resolve the issues with its usage in scientific discourse. The term remains somewhat problematic due to its lack of precision and its departure from the biological roots of the "-ome" suffix. However, in the context of speculative or philosophical discussions about the relationship between intelligent species and their data, it might serve as a thought-provoking concept.

Basically, I viewed the authors attempt to start a meme (like Dawkins) to become a more widely use "household" concept... fails. Thought that's appropriate to add.

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book contains a lot of information on information. The author coined the descriptive phrase, "dataome," a concept that deserves our attention.

The information certainly has real world consequences, regardless of whether it is "truthful" information. A quick look at the political arena will tell you that the political dataome is not necessarily based in hard concrete reality.

My thought in reading this is how do we as humans handle the toxic information so we aren't infected with a dysfunctional dataome.

And then there is the dataome of books and literature . . .

[Mike Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome. all hail the dataome.

[shreya c · Rating 2 out of 5]

all dots no connect

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complex, philosophical, interesting. A complicated but great read to initialize some thoughts on humanities future.

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually don't think I understand the meaning of this book as a whole but anyway each topic was scientifically interesting and enjoy listening while commuting. I somewhat hope that all the data I made would be useful for something.

[Charlie Huenemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scharf is a physicist who argues in this book that the main subject of the universe has been information. Life itself is a system of storing and reproducing information, intelligence is a way of collecting, storing and sharing information, and our current preoccupation with digital intelligence is an intensive devotion of energy to information.

Given how much energy, money, and resources are spent on information, there is some reason to place information, or the “dataome”, as Scharf calls it, at the center of the story. And maybe, as he argues, we are in the middle of an informational equivalent of the explosion of life on Earth once oxygen became abundant. Once there were systems who could consume and excrete large volumes of information (humans), the dataome expanded in mad fashion, seemingly without limit. Eventually, humans may turn out to be a stepping-stone species leading to far more efficient and productive algorithmic entities, if the dataome has its way. Scharf suggests that the whole of human culture and indeed our whole existence is just the vehicle by which information gains ascendency over an ever-growing region of spacetime.

I like Scharf’s book for raising this possibility and giving us the relevant materials for thinking more seriously about it. But, lord, how I wish that there were editors. I think Scharf may be one of the more information-promiscuous authors out there, sharing everything he can think to say on a topic. Reading his book is a bit like waking up only to find your roommate has been up all night drinking coffee and reading Wikipedia, and boy does he have some things to say.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Scharf on the podcast Pivo,found the discussion interesting so I read his book. It is chock full of creative and intriguing ideas. His basic premise is that the data that we have created can be viewed as an extension of ourselves. He coined the term "dataome" to describe all this data around us and views is as an "extended phenotype" of humans.

Viewed this way, the dataome can be evaluated as we evaluate the evolution of life. He quotes David Krakauer - that at its most abstract life is driven to complexification ie increasing the amount of information encoded about the environment. Humans can be understood as "organic algorythms" (this is also a theme in the book The Order of Time) and the data we create is an extension of that.

Evaluated as a living entity, the dataome evolves through natural selection that may or may not be beneficial for humans. This helps explain why, for example, Facebook can be damaging to its users. The recents exposure of emails from Facebook executives contains lamentations that they can no longer control how their data is growing. This is consistent with Scharf's thesis.

The book contains lots of interesting nuggests about information theory, entropy, and energy useage. He speculates that our ultimate purpose as far as the universe is concerned is simply to shed heat more efficiently. If that is the case, the universe is probably pleased with the prospect of global warming.

The book is a bit uneven and speculative but opens up great ideas. I recommend it.

[Jeff Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caleb Scharf has written an extrordinarily good book that intertwines the story of humans and life on earth with 'our' creation of data into the dataome. Whether the dataome is our creation or not (it may have been pre-programmed by the laws of the universe) the ingenious story is matched by the author's examplary use of the language that we (or the laws) have created to produce a work that, even if pre-ordained, enters my brain (that wet mass of computational power) and is welcomed there.

I am no physicist or scientist but evolutionary theory and Darwinian-derived thought processes have driven my attention for many years. Over forty years ago, a reading of Dawkins' "The Blind Watchmaker" hurled me into the subject that has underscored much of my thinking about life on this planet.

For Caleb Scharf to entertain and educate to such an extent is evidence of a huge knowledge allied to a real talent for bringing his novel ideas into reality so well.

Whether the dataome, or even knowledge of it, will substantially alter the way we live (knowing how little humanity has troubled itself to take seriously the impact of climate change - a self-evident calamity that we know about yet find it hard to reverse) is very unclear. Nevertheless, the dataome and how it impacts the world will, most likely, be a serious subject of increasing attention as the intelligence of non-humanity grows.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

As hinted by the subtitle, this book is all over the place, lightly touching on everything from Dyson Spheres, quantum mechanics, black holes, the Simulation Hypothesis, cosmology, information theory, evolution, cybernetics, memes, exoplanets, entropy, computer architecture, the Turing Test, etc etc etc. All wonderful and fascinating topics, all of which interest me greatly, but it takes a skillful hand and deft manipulation to weave these disparate ideas into anything approaching a coherent narrative, rather than just a manic jumbled pile of tidbits.

The scattershot delivery doesn't leave sufficient space to fully explore his main thesis, which revolves around the made-up word of "dataome", which is like a biome, but for information. I think it could have been a novel and compelling way of looking at things, but requires the sort of vigorous exploration that is lacking in this book.

[Mark Clackum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dataome

The author distinguishes"data" as bits, and the organized assemblage of those bits as "information" and the relevance of that "information" as "meaning"...and collectively refers to it all as our "Dataome". Observing that a unique property of humans is how we extend our phenotype by generating and distributing and evolving this exodata (external to our biological form) within our technosphere. But the book goes much further exploring how the data , all our texts and pictures and videos and webpages and electeonics consume available energy to stay alive; ideas are favored, ideas couple, and new ideas are born --- very much like a living thing... perhaps even , in a participatory universe, a strategy to increase entropy.
Very thought provoking.

[Lucille Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating overview of information with a broader theoretical approach that is novel, though a bit sparse. The highlights of the book are when it summarizes others' work, blending science and narrative concisely into an understandable package. Less convincing are the attempts at a broader theory, philosophy, science of information independently. Despite those noted peaks and troughs in quality, this book was well-worth reading.

[Kalyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book I have listened, my kind of book. It takes 2 or 3 more readings to enjoy the content of this book. It covers spectrum of topics from Dataome perspective. Apt to the title book sticks to the theme and explores very interesting topics.
I like this book, want to buy it and keep it in my library.

[Nilendu Misra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most insightful AND informative book I’ve read in past years. Essentially, computation is expensive. Electrical is 10K more expensive than biological (chemical). Our modern exo-world runs on the former. We will run out of our energy capacity by 2040. Does the present “chip shortage” augur that “shallow” future?

[Clayton Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty complex book. I would probably have to read it a second time to get it all in my head. But I am not going to do that. There is a lot of parallels that I can use here with my craft. I took a lot of notes. I hope I can remember it all. It did take me a long time to read, as I read it at night, and I generally could only make it through a chapter before falling asleep.

[Tomas Nilsson · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, thank you. It’s not needed to write a book when it can be said in five pages. There is more data today than ever before. And it poses a who bunch of problems. The author asks, what’s the true cost of generating, storing and using the data? Questions around ownership? Are there any legal issues? Ethics?

[Rohan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's worth a read.

A lot of cool ideas here, but fails to really drive home the overall point. The data-ome at its core is information being passed generation to generation and how we handle information. A good read to think about what and how information influences us and our society, but overall the message falls a bit flat.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahead of its time. The broad outlines of the ideas Scharf touches on here are probably true. I'm not sure the book really nails it in terms of connecting all the dots, but it's asking the right questions. It does a good job compiling and connecting the broad ideas that may lead to a scientific revolution. I'd imagine this book will be looked at much more favorably 10 years from now.

[Armen Shirvanian]

My interview with Professor Scharf about The Ascent of Information on The Armen Show Podcast:

http://www.armenshirvanian.com/podcas...

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stuff. To be honest, the 2nd half of the book lost me. It required more investment of brainpower than I wanted to commit. Plus Scharf has a tendency to meander. I skimmed the final 3 chapters.

[Robert Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling and mind-expanding ideas, but the book is hampered by being overly meandering and wordy. I'm curious to see if the future will reveal a more concise understanding of the dataome - still, this might be The Selfish Gene of the information age.

[Praneet Singh Butran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very underrated book. In my opinion, this is on par with James Gleick's Information masterpiece. I want to write a proper review of this, probably as a blog post, and so will link it here once it's done (hopefully) because there is so much to cover here!

[Evan Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts a little slow but really gets going once the book reaches the near modern era. Ends very strong with the physics of the dataome and the context of what it all means for a species that seems hell bent on getting stupider despite having more knowledge than ever.

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great read. It’s the first time I read about the dataome, and it’s a fascinating concept. I love the cross-connection the author makes with evolution and physics. A great read.

[Mark]

https://bigthink.com/13-8/information...

22 September 2021

[Alexander Van Leadam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, informative and thought provoking but in the end I'm still not sure what the dataome is.

[Cole Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense with interesting information; some a bit farfetched, most quite fascinating. I agree with some of the other reviews that "dataome" is not the most elegant word choice.