--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, entropy is associated…" description: "\"You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in systems involving heat, with disorder. And in an analogous way, information is associated with di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/james-gleick-2623_about_you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodyn_55681.jpg" --- # You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in… ![“You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in systems involving heat, with disorder. And in an analogous way, information is associated with disorder, which seems paradoxical. But when you think about it, a bit of information is a surprise. If you already knew what the message contained…” quote by James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/james-gleick-2623_about_you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodyn_55681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/james-gleick-2623_about_you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodyn_55681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/james-gleick-2623_about_you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodyn_55681.jpg) > “You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in systems involving heat, with disorder. And in an analogous way, information is associated with disorder, which seems paradoxical. But when you think about it, a bit of information is a surprise. If you already knew what the message contained, there would be no new information in it.” [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Information quantifies surprise; knowing a message eliminates its informational value, mirroring thermodynamic entropy's link to disorder. **In simple terms:** Information is surprise; known content lacks information. Key Takeaway Surprise defines information. Themes information theory entropy surprise knowledge paradox Mood curiosity wonder intellectual intrigue Type aphor explanatory When to use this quote - learning new facts - decoding messages - analyzing data - predicting outcomes Key Concepts entropy information surprise knowledge Practical Applications - designing communication protocols - optimizing data compression Questions to Reflect On - How does prior knowledge affect information value? - Can entropy be reduced without loss? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entropy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entropy/) [Heat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat/) [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Paradoxical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradoxical/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) ## Related quotes > [My true Self is free. 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