The bit and the pendulum - Tom Siegfried

"Funny, clear, deep, and right on target, Tom Siegfried?s The Bit and the Pendulum is a friendly guide to a profound revolution now taking place on the forefront of science. From the horizons of black holes to the inner recesses of the human brain, bits are us and everything else too. Taking a lighthearted approach to weighty ideas, Siegfried takes us into the tangled web of quantum teleportation, curled up extra dimensions of space and time, and the wetware of computational cells. He lets us get a handle on ideas that are essential for understanding the evolving world." K. C. Cole, author ofThe Universe and the Teacup

Is all life made up of yes–no, heads–tails decisions? Is the computer, with its binary 0?1 "bits" of information, our best model yet for describing the universe? Acclaimed science writer Tom Siegfried offers a fascinating introduction to the hot new physics of information. The Bit and the Pendulum takes us on a thrilling journey from quantum teleportation, to DNA computing, to the insides of black holes and other cosmological puzzles. Siegfried interviews top scientists biologists working with the mathematics of DNA, quantum physicists studying quantum cryptography, and neuroscientists mapping the mysterious workings of the brain all using the mysteries of information science to solve the seemingly unsolvable. Lively, engaging, and topical, The Bit and the Pendulum shows how the computer and the "bit" are revealing secrets of the brain, the nature of matter, and the workings of the universe.