HNS 381WX - Info: Past, Present & Future

Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
Credit Hours: 3

How much information is in this paragraph? Well, you haven’t read it all yet, so you don’t know. But if it’s your second go, how might you measure the information content? By the frequency of large and uncommon words? By the perceived meaning that it relays about the course? By the total number of alphanumeric characters used? In this course we’ll explore one method of quantifying information and how this theory of information is used in the modern world. Don’t be fooled, though: the essence of information is as old as language itself (and some would argue older). We’ll see this in examples ranging from the talking drums of Africa to cryptography during World War II to why your great-great-great grandparents might not be as disapproving of your texting habits as your parents are. Expect to do some math, but no coursework in mathematics beyond the core curriculum is required. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the VMI Honors Program. Note: Writing Intensive (W) & Civilizations and Cultures (X)