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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Seth Lloyd, a quantum engineer at MIT, base his estimates on the universe on?

2. What are genes?

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

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

5. What is the relationship between humans and memes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are examples of memes?

2. When was the existence of DNA discovered and by whom?

3. What was the original meaning of the term "entropy"?

4. The connection of information with entropy and the physical realm was important to what physics discipline?

5. What was the "Library of Babel" that was described in a story by Jorge Luis Borges?

6. What was Erwin Schrodinger's theory about "genes"?

7. What was found to be the make-up of DNA and what did these properties allow?

8. What estimates did Seth Lloyd, a quantum engineer at MIT, make about the power of the universe?

9. What did psychologist George Miller discover about a person's ability to remember?

10. What are major differences between Wikipedia and the Encyclopedia Brittanica?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What were the views of Rolf Landauer and John von Neumann on the energy cost of information processing? How was von Neuman's theory disproved and by whom?

Essay Topic 2

What is a meme? What is the role of a meme? What are some examples of memes?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the work of Charles Babbage. What was the purpose of his machine, the "difference engine" and how did it function? What contribution did the Babylonians make to mathematics and how was it relevant to knowledge sharing?

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