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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the word "cybernetics" mean?
(a) The study of the relationship between man and machine.
(b) The study of robotics.
(c) The same as computer science.
(d) The study of Internet crime.

2. How did Gregory Chaitin define random numbers?
(a) As numbers that could not be computed.
(b) As numbers that could not be identified.
(c) As numbers that could not be calculated.
(d) As numbers that could not be defined.

3. What does Gleick compare the "Library of Babel" to?
(a) The M-Theory.
(b) Search engines.
(c) Quantum consciousness.
(d) The Internet.

4. What results when a closed system's temperature evens out?
(a) There is no change.
(b) The system fails.
(c) More work can be accomplished.
(d) No work could be done.

5. What was one of the innovative concepts that Dawkins proposed in "The Selfish Gene"?
(a) The repressive gene.
(b) The genome.
(c) The extra gene.
(d) A meme.

6. Is quantum computing a real possibility?
(a) It is not likely.
(b) It is a solid theory.
(c) It is just a dream.
(d) The theory has not been proven yet.

7. What claim did Shannon make about the predictable redundancy of the English language?
(a) That this feature could cause programming to be very difficult.
(b) This this feature could not be computed.
(c) That this feature could be computed.
(d) That this feature could cause errors.

8. What did Chaitin propose using to express a computable number into another form?
(a) By using the Turing machine.
(b) By using complex calculations.
(c) By using advanced calculus.
(d) By using algebra,

9. What does the size of the algorithm indicate about the number?
(a) Its complexity.
(b) Its capacity for computation.
(c) Its simplicity.
(d) Its computable nature.

10. How did Landauer disprove von Neumann's theory on the energy cost of information?
(a) There was no lost of vitality.
(b) He was supported by others who agreed with him.
(c) Flipping a bit from one state to another did not change entropy..
(d) Through extensive experiments.

11. What did the study of thermodynamics not state about the movement of energy?
(a) That it traveled in one direction.
(b) That it was dynamic.
(c) That it traveled in random directions with no pattern.
(d) That it traveled in many directions.

12. Why do scientists view quantum particles in terms of probability?
(a) The exact properties of quantum particles are not stable.
(b) The exact properties of quantum particles change.
(c) The exact properties of quantum particles are dynamic.
(d) The exact properties of quantum particles are unknown.

13. What type of information is contained in DNA?
(a) Information that is limited to the surrounding cells.
(b) Information key to survival.
(c) Information that is unique to that organism.
(d) Information that is passed from generation to generation.

14. Why is modern society in information overload?
(a) Electronic information is easier to store than physical information.
(b) Storing data on computers makes history writing easier.
(c) The expectation today is that all information should be preserved.
(d) Companies and people fear litigation.

15. Why wasn't Shannon able to teach his computer to play a game?
(a) His boss nixed the idea.
(b) He found it wasn't possible.
(c) It would take to long to teach the machine the game.
(d) He thought he would be seen as non-serious.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why are people able to recall the name of a tune?

2. What is the normal state of quantum particles?

3. What was John von Neumann's theory on the energy cost of information?

4. What is an algorithm?

5. Where does the Internet store memes?

(see the answer keys)

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