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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. It had long been noted that physical traits were inheritable and that they had something to do with what other human element?

2. What claim did Shannon make about the predictable redundancy of the English language?

3. How do scientists categorize catchphrases like "Survival of the fittest" and "Read my lips"?

4. What type of information is contained in DNA?

5. What did the study of thermodynamics not state about the movement of energy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the relationship between man and his memes?

2. What comparison does the author make to the famous library at Alexandria?

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

4. What was mathematician Gregory Chatin's concept on entropy?

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

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

7. What makes a number "computable?"

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

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

10. What was John von Neumann's theory on energy cost and how did Rolf Landauer disprove that concept?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why is the year 1948 considered a huge turning point in information theory and technology? What advances were made by researchers at Bell Laboratories during this time frame?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the various theories on entropy. How was entropy important to information theory?

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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