Information theory

Scientific study of digital information

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2025 Global data creation projected to grow to more than 180 zettabytes.
March 10 2025
Integrated information theory
Nature Neuroscience published a follow-up to the original criticism letter, featuring a rebuttal and a commentary proposing a 'weak IIT' modification to address existing critiques.
September 15 2023
Integrated information theory
A letter signed by 124 scholars was published on PsyArXiv, asserting that Integrated Information Theory should be labeled pseudoscience until it becomes empirically testable.
June 2023
Integrated information theory
Initial results of the Templeton Foundation-funded study were revealed, showing that none of GNWT's predictions passed the pre-agreed threshold, while two out of three of IIT's predictions passed.
2021
Integrated information theory
Angus Leung and colleagues published a direct application of Integrated Information Theory's mathematical formalism to neural data, focusing on neuronal population activity in flies and demonstrating how Φ^Max can be computed for smaller neural datasets.
2020 Total amount of global data created, captured, copied, and consumed reached 64.2 zettabytes.
December 1 2020
Norman Abramson
Norman Abramson passed away in his San Francisco home due to complications from metastasized skin cancer.
December 1 2020
Norman Abramson
Norman Abramson passed away, concluding a remarkable career in electrical engineering and computer science.
2019
Log-rank conjecture
An approximate version of the log-rank conjecture for randomised communication complexity was disproved.
2019
Spectral efficiency
Launch of IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standard, reaching a spectral efficiency of 7.5 bit/(s⋅Hz) with potential up to 60 bit/(s⋅Hz) in 8×8 MIMO configuration.
2019
Integrated information theory
The Templeton Foundation announced funding exceeding $6,000,000 to test empirical predictions of Integrated Information Theory (IIT) against Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT), with both theory originators agreeing on experimental protocols and conditions for validating their theories.
2019
Integrated information theory
Christof Koch published 'The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness is Widespread but Can't Be Computed', a book discussing integrated information theory.
2019
Integrated information theory
New Scientist published an article investigating how consciousness works, presenting radical theoretical answers.
2018 Wins the Shannon Award from the IEEE Information Theory Society.
2018
MIMO
Emil Björnson, Jakob Hoydis, and Luca Sanguinetti published research demonstrating that pilot contamination in massive MIMO can be solved, showing capacity can be increased by adding more antennas.
2017
Integrated information theory
Nautilus magazine explored the philosophical question 'Is Matter Conscious?', further examining the implications of Integrated Information Theory.
2016
Spectral efficiency
DOCSIS 3.1 broadband cable modem technology launched, demonstrating high spectral efficiency in cable communication systems.
2016
Integrated information theory
Aeon magazine published an article discussing the concept of 'consciousness creep'.
2016 Awarded the ACM Edsger W. Dijkstra Prize in Distributed Computing for work on parallel algorithms for maximal independent sets.
2015 Elected as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
2015 Won the ACM Paris Kanellakis Theory and Practice Award for groundbreaking contributions to erasure correcting codes essential for improving video transmission quality over various networks.
2014
Integrated information theory
MIT Technology Review discussed the challenges and requirements for computer consciousness.
2014 Elected to the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to coding theory, including the inception of rateless codes.
2013
Spectral efficiency
LTE-Advanced and WiGig IEEE 802.11ad technologies introduced, pushing the boundaries of spectral efficiency in mobile and wireless communications.
2013
Spectral efficiency
Deployment of LTE-Advanced, achieving a spectral efficiency of 3.75 bit/(s⋅Hz) with potential up to 30 bit/(s⋅Hz) in 8×8 MIMO setup.
2013
Integrated information theory
Wired magazine published an article featuring a neuroscientist's radical theory about how networks become conscious. The New Yorker also explored the theory, questioning the consciousness of technological devices like iPhones.
2012
Spectral efficiency
Introduction of IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard, offering spectral efficiency up to 5.42 bit/(s⋅Hz) and up to 43.3 bit/(s⋅Hz) in advanced MIMO configurations.
2012
Integrated information theory
Giulio Tononi published 'Phi: A Voyage from the Brain to the Soul', a book exploring the integrated information theory of consciousness.
2012 Awarded the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal together with Amin Shokrollahi for the conception, development, and analysis of practical rateless codes.
2011
Spectral efficiency
Introduction of TETRA II with TEDS technology, enhancing trunked radio system capabilities.
2011
Norman Abramson
Received the C&C Prize.
2010
Integrated information theory
The New York Times published an article exploring consciousness by examining its informational complexity.

This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Norman Abramson, Z-channel (information theory), Many antennas, Log-rank conjecture, Distributed source coding, Spectral efficiency, Gottfried Ungerboeck, Integrated information theory, MIMO, Michael Luby & Information, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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