In a blockbuster paper in 1948, Claude Shannon introduced the notion of a “bit” and laid the foundation for the information age. His ideas ripple through such diverse fields as communication, linguistics, genetics, computing, cryptography, neuroscience, artificial intelligence and cosmology. In later years, he constructed a mathematical theory of juggling, rode unicycles, wrote the first paper on computer chess and built a flaming trumpet. The Bit Player tells the story of an overlooked genius who revolutionized the world. The World Premiere of this film will be followed by a conversation discussing Shannon’s legacy and the impact of his work.
This program is supported by the IEEE Information Theory Society.
Co-presented with the Museum of the Moving Image.