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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The existence of what entity as a basic element of genetics had been theorized before the mechanics of genetic reproduction was fully understood?
(a) DNA.
(b) A gene.
(c) RNA.
(d) The Genome.

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

3. What is the modern meaning of "entropy"? "Entropy was not a kind of energy or an amount of energy," Gleick writes (p. 271). It was instead an abstract measurement of the unavailability of energy.
(a) An abstract measurement of the unavailability of energy.
(b) an abstract measurement of the unavailability of cold.
(c) an abstract measurement of the unavailability of capacity.
(d) an abstract measurement of the unavailability of heat.

4. What is the advantage of using quantum particles in the place of bits?
(a) A quantum computer that can have many states at once.
(b) A quantum computer could store more information.
(c) A quantum computer could process data much faster.
(d) A quantum computer would be more efficient.

5. What can a computable number be compressed into?
(a) A byte.
(b) An algorithm.
(c) A standard calculation.
(d) 0s and 1s.

6. What did Charles Bennet prove about energy cost?
(a) When information was erased heat remained constant.
(b) When information was erased entropy did not change.
(c) That no matter what the circumstance, there was no energy cost.
(d) When information was erased was entropy changed and heat dissipated.

7. How does heat travel?
(a) Heat can travel from a hot thing to a cold thing.
(b) Heat can travel from a cold thing to a hot thing.
(c) Heat can travel from a hot thing to a warm thing.
(d) Heat can travel from a hot thing to a hotter thing.

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

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

10. What comment did IBM researcher Charles Bennet make about the amount of information in a message?
(a) Is not a good measurement of its capacity.
(b) Is not a good measure of its ability for computation.
(c) Is not a good measurement of its meaningfulness.
(d) Is not a good measurement of its importance.

11. Where is DNA found?
(a) In newly forming cells.
(b) Within the cells of every human being.
(c) Within the cells of every living thing.
(d) In the cells of the nervous system.

12. What are memes?
(a) Bits of information.
(b) Repressive genes.
(c) Self-cloning genes.
(d) Chromosomal genes.

13. What happened to the library that once held all known information?
(a) It was buried during an eruption of Etna.
(b) It was destroyed when Sparta burned.
(c) It was burned when Alexandria was conquered.
(d) It was abandoned at Oxford when it was felt that there was too much information to store.

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

15. Recognizing a famous painting like the Mona Lisa is attributed to what factor?
(a) Education.
(b) Bits.
(c) The meme.
(d) Memory.

Short Answer Questions

1. At an exclusive meeting in New York City, Shannon commented that the English language had what characteristic?

2. What is the relationship between humans and memes?

3. What did Shannon bring to one of his meetings?

4. Chaotic looking numbers may have simplistic algorithms but why are many difficult to determine?

5. What does a closed system made up of a hot part and a cold part attain as the heat passes from the hot part to the cold part?

(see the answer keys)

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