Barrels Quote by Norbert Wiener
“The idea that information can be stored in a changing world without an overwhelming depreciation of its value is false. It is scarcely less false than the more plausible claim that after a war we may take our existing weapons, fill their barrels with information.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine by Norbert Wiener, 1948
The claim that information retains value despite change is false; similarly, the idea of loading weapons with information after war is implausible.
In simple terms: Information loses value when contexts shift; weaponizing data is unrealistic.
Key Takeaway
Question the durability of information and its misuse.
Themes
information
value
change
war
technology
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- cybersecurity
- historical analysis
- media literacy
Key Concepts
entropy
signal
noise
propaganda
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes information timeless?
- How can societies protect data integrity?
A Different Perspective
Overlooks cases where information remains valuable over time.
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