The Man Who Turned Paper Into Pixels
June 27 2014, 4:16pm
A brand new video essay from delve.tv It was the change that no-one saw coming: the idea that we could take a book, a painting or a song and send it through cables and wires and even thin air to the other end of the world - and it would be identical on the other side. But this idea underpins everything about the Information Age we live in. How did we make such a mind bending transition into the digital world? And how does it work? It turns out it's all based on a concept that is surprisingly beautiful in its simplicity. This short video essay explores what that idea is and tells you about the man who figured it all out. Computers are everywhere and control almost every aspect of our lives. In the next 6 minutes you'll find out how they really work. // DELVE DEEPER: Curious? Read Andrew Lih's quick explanation of Information Theory edge.org/response-detail/11486 Even more interested? Spend an hour learning Information Theory with this Cambridge Professor videolectures.net/mackay_course_01/ Super interested? Read "Information: a history, a theory, a flood" by James Glieck amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004P1JEY8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004P1JEY8&linkCode=as2&tag=adammeetsworl-21 A maths person? Read Shannon's original 1948 paper which changed the world: magmamater.cl/MatheComm.pdf // PREVIOUS VIDEO ESSAYS The Long Game Part 1 - delve.tv/the-long-game-part-one/ The Long Game Part 2 - delve.tv/the-long-game-part-2/ // TRANSCRIPT Want to translate this into your own language? Here's a transcript of this essay - message us with a .vtt file and we'll create captioning in your language. delve.tv/wp-content/uploads/Delve_3_Transcript.pdf // CREDITS STOCK VIDEO: Beachfront B-roll / Dissolve.com / Mitch Martinez ARCHIVE: Prelinger Archives, San Francisco / Charles and Ray Eames IMAGES OF CLAUDE SHANNON: MIT Museum Boston / Nixdorf MuseumsForums, Paderborn CROUPIER: John Ngo PIANIST: Steph O'Dea ANIMATION: Adam Westbrook MUSIC: James Brett, Min-Y-LLan, Hugo 'Droopy' Contini STORY DESIGN + DIRECTION: Adam Westbrook PUBLISHED BY: delve.tv This video essay is released under a Creative Commons Licence for Non-commercial Attribution: share, remix, remake - but please give credit! Find out more about Delve: delve.tv Why does Delve exist? delve.tv/aboutCast: Delve and Adam WestbrookTags: Adam Westbrook, delve.tv, video essay, Information Theory, Claude Shannon, Binary, How computers work, how binary works, transistors, Bell Labs, Information, Communication, Noise, motion graphics, documentary, digital age, juggling, learning, curiosity and Vincent Van Gogh
