THE ART

OF INFORMATION THEORY

When you watch a video on your smartphone, a stream of bits has been compressed and transmitted by a range of technologies. At the base of this is information theory, which describes the mathematical foundations of information compression and storage.

The IEEE Information Theory Society has gathered videos, books and more that show how information theory impacts our lives.

The Bit Player

Claude Shannon can rightfully be called the Einstein of information — his remarkable contributions founded the field of information theory.

The Bit Player, the first feature film about Claude Shannon, combines interviews with leading scientists, archival film, inventive animation and compelling commentary from Shannon himself to tell the story of an overlooked genius who revolutionized the world, but never lost his childlike curiosity.

Book for Children

Information in Small Bits is a book which introduces basic concepts in information theory to children from 8 years old using relatable cartoon stories and problem-solving activities.

This book is a fun and approachable way to learn about Claude Shannon and his world of Information Theory. Comic-style cartoons combined with comprehensive texts and activities makes this the perfect learning tool for children and adults alike.

Artwork from the book "Information in Small Bits"
General-audience videos co-produced by the IT Society appear on the “Art of the Problem” YouTube channel. Understand how information theory forms the foundation of technologies such as the internet, wireless communications and recommender systems.
The brilliant student members of the Information Theory Society have produced fabulous videos explaining basic ideas in information theory. Targeted at high school students.
These short animations are aimed at making ideas from information theory accessible to children 8 and older, and tie in with the children's book Information in Small Bits.