Definition and Examples of Information Content

Definition and Examples of Information Content In linguistics and information theory, the term information content refers to the amount of information conveyed by a particular unit of language in a particular context. An example of information content, suggests  Martin H.  Weik, is the meaning assigned to the data in a message (Communications Standard Dictionary, 1996). As Chalker and Weiner point out in the Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (1994), The notion of information content is related to statistical probability. If a unit is totally predictable then, according to information theory, it is informationally redundant and its information content is nil. This is actually true of the to particle in most contexts (e.g. What are you going . . . do?). The concept of information content was first systematically examined in Information, Mechanism, and Meaning  (1969)  by British  physicist and information theorist  Donald M. MacKay. Greetings One of the essential functions of language is to enable members of a speech community to maintain social relations with one another, and greetings are a very straightforward way of doing this. Indeed, an appropriate social interchange may well consist entirely of greetings, without any communication of information content. (Bernard Comrie, On Explaining Language Universals. The New Psychology of Language: Cognitive and Functional Approaches to Language Structures, ed. by Michael Tomasello. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003) Functionalism Functionalism . . . dates back to the early twentieth century and has its roots in the Prague School of Eastern Europe. [Functional frameworks] differ from the Chomskyan frameworks in emphasizing the information content of utterances, and in considering language primarily as a system of communication. . . . Approaches based on functional frameworks have dominated European study of SLA [Second Language Acquisition] and are widely followed elsewhere in the world. (Muriel Saville-Troike, Introducing Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Propositions For our purposes here, the focus will be on declarative sentences such as (1) Socrates is talkative. Plainly, utterances of sentences of this type are a direct way of conveying information. We shall call such utterances statements and the information-content conveyed by them propositions. The proposition expressed by an utterance of (1) is (2) That Socrates is talkative. Provided the speaker is sincere and competent, her utterance of (1) could also be taken to express a belief with the content that Socrates is talkative. That belief then has exactly the same information content as the speakers statement: it represents Socrates as being in a certain way (namely, talkative). (Names, Descriptions, and Demonstratives. Philosophy of Language: The Central Topics, ed. by Susana Nuccetelli and Gary Seay. Rowman Littlefield, 2008) The Information Content of Childrens Speech [T]he linguistic utterances of very young children are limited in both length and information content (Piaget, 1955). Children whose sentences are limited to one to two words may request food, toys or other objects, attention, and help. They may also spontaneously note or name objects in their environment and ask or answer questions of who, what or where (Brown, 1980). The information content of these communications, however, is sparse and limited to actions experienced by both listener and speaker and to objects known to both. Usually, only one object or action is requested at a time. As linguistic lexicon and sentence length increase, so too does information content (Piaget, 1955). By four to five years, children may request explanations about causality, with the proverbial why questions. They may also describe their own actions verbally, give others brief instructions in sentence format, or describe objects with a series of words. Even at this stage, however, children have difficulty making themselves understood unless the actions, objects, and events are known to both speaker and hearer. . . . Not until the elementary school years of seven to nine can children fully describe events to listeners unfamiliar with them by incorporating large amounts of information in appropriately structured series of sentences. It is also at this time that children become capable of debating and absorbing factual knowledge transmitted by formal education or other non-experiential means. (Kathleen R. Gibson, Tool Use, Language and Social Behavior in Relationship to Information Processing Abilities. Tools, Language, and Cognition in Human Evolution, ed. by Kathleen R. Gibson and Tim Ingold. Cambridge University Press, 1993) Input-Output Models of Information Content Most any empirical belief . . . will be richer in information content than the experience that led to its acquisitionand this on any plausible account of the appropriate information measures. This is a consequence of the philosophical commonplace that the evidence a person has for an empirical belief rarely entails the belief. While we may come to believe that all armadillos are omnivorous by observing the eating habits of a fair sample of armadillos, the generalization is not implied by any number of propositions attributing various tastes to particular armadillos. In the case of mathematical or logical beliefs, it is rather harder to specify the relevant experiential input. But again it seems that on any appropriate measure of information content the information contained within our mathematical and logical beliefs outruns that contained in our total sensory history. (Stephen Stich, The Idea of Innateness. Collected Papers, Volume 1: Mind and Language, 1972-2010. Oxford University Press, 2011) Also  See MeaningCommunication  and  Communication ProcessConversational ImplicatureIllocutionary ForceLanguage Acquisition

HMS Venturer Sinks U-864 - World War II Submarines HMS Venturer and U-864 -

HMS Venturer Sinks U-864 - World War II Submarines HMS Venturer and U-864 - Conflict: The engagement between HMS Venturer and U-864 took place during World War II. Date: Lt. Jimmy Launders and HMS Venturer sank U-864 on February 9, 1945. Ships Commanders: British Lieutenant Jimmy LaundersHMS Venturer (V-Class Submarine)37 men Germans Korvettenkapitn Ralf-Reimar Wolfram U-864 (Type IX U-boat)73 men Battle Summary: In late 1944, U-864 was dispatched from Germany under the command of Korvettenkapitn Ralf-Reimar Wolfram to take part in Operation Caesar. This mission called for the submarine to transport advanced technology, such as Me-262 jet fighter parts and V-2 missile guidance systems, to Japan for use against American forces. Also on board was 65 tons of mercury which was needed for the production of detonators. While passing through the Kiel Canal, U-864 grounded damaging its hull. To address this issue, Wolfram sailed north to the U-boat pens at Bergen, Norway. On January 12, 1945, while U-864 was undergoing repairs, the pens were attacked by British bombers further delaying the submarines departure. With repairs complete, Wolfram finally sailed in early February. In Britain, code breakers at Bletchley Park were alerted to U-864s mission and location through Enigma radio intercepts. To prevent the German boat from completing its mission, the Admiralty diverted the fast attack submarine, HMS Venturer to search for U-864 in the area of Fedje, Norway. Commanded by rising star Lieutenant James Launders, HMS Venturer had recently departed its base at Lerwick. On February 6, Wolfram passed Fedje the area however issues soon began to arise with one of U-864s engines. Despite the repairs at Bergen, one of the engines began to misfire, greatly increasing the noise the submarine produced. Radioing Bergen that they would be returning to port, Wolfram was told that an escort would be waiting for them at Hellisoy on the 10th. Arriving in the Fedje area, Launders made a calculated decision to turn off Venturers ASDIC (an advanced sonar) system. While use of the ASDIC would make locating U-864 easier, it risked giving away Venturers position. Relying solely on Venturers hydrophone, Launders began searching the waters around Fedje. On February 9, Venturers hydrophone operator detected an unidentified noise that sounded like a diesel engine. After tracking the sound, Venturer approached and raised its periscope. Surveying the horizon, Launders spotted another periscope. Lowering Venturers, Launders correctly guessed that the other periscope belonged to his quarry. Slowly following U-864, Launders planned to attack the German u-boat when it surfaced. As Venturer stalked U-864 it became clear that it had been detected as the German began following an evasive zigzag course. After pursuing Wolfram for three hours, and with Bergen approaching, Launders decided that he needed to act. Anticipating U-864s course, Launders and his men computed a firing solution in three dimensions. While this type of calculation had been practiced in theory, it had never been attempted at sea in combat conditions. With this work done, Launders fired all four of Venturers torpedoes, at varying depths, with 17.5 seconds between each. After firing the last torpedo, Venturer dove quickly to prevent any counterattack. Hearing the torpedoes approach, Wolfram ordered U-864 to dive deeper and turn to avoid them. While U-864 successfully evaded the first three, the fourth torpedo struck the submarine, sinking it with all hands. Aftermath: The loss of U-864 cost the Kriegsmarine the U-boats entire 73-man crew as well as the vessel. For his actions off Fedje, Launders was awarded a bar for his Distinguished Service Order. HMS Venturers fight with U-864 is the only known, publicly acknowledged battle where one submerged submarine sank another.

Biological Cloning and Nuclear Transplantation Essay

Biological Cloning and Nuclear Transplantation - Essay Example Burnett states about the scientific concept, â€Å"Scientists will take the nucleus of a somatic, or nonreproductive, cell from Alcalde and insert it into an egg cell from a cow, from which the nucleus has been removed. The resulting embryo will be grown in an incubator and then implanted in a cow to develop† (2008, p.1). In lay language, the concept involves the desire to produce animals with superior qualities that cannot be achieved through normal reproduction. The process involves nuclear transplantation, in which the genetic material from a given cell is inserted into the host. In this case, the host is an unfertilized egg whose genetic material has been removed through enucleation process. The biological process of nuclear transplantation is whereby scientists derive a cell from an adult animal they wish to clone. The genome of the animal is contained in the nucleus of this derived cell. Genome is the DNA that has instructions to create a new individual. The next stage i n this process is taking an unfertilized egg from the female of the same species, and removing its nucleus (Mann, 2003, p.1). The scientists then put the nucleus into the egg; thus, basically replacing the DNA of the egg with that of the cloning animal. The nucleus derived from the donor cell is fused with the egg with the help of a smell electric current passed through the cell. Adding a series of chemicals into the egg tricks it into believing that fertilization is taking place. At this stage, the outcome may be successful or unsuccessful.

The Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda Research Paper

The Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda - Research Paper Example Yet over the years, several organizations have started protesting against the sale of soft drinks in schools. For example, the Center of Food and Justice published a report in 2002 which called on the Los Angeles Unified School District board to ban soda as a consequence of increasing obesity and Type II diabetes among children. On the other hand, a Huffington Post article (Bennett) called for its readers to protest an alliance between Coca-Cola and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to help educate consumers how they can fit soda into a healthy lifestyle. For many doctors, this is a distasteful move because soda does not contain any kind of essential nutrients and does not help the body in any way. Yet, despite these allegations, people still persist in drinking soda because they are unaware of its health implications. Through a review of previous literature, the researcher hopes to show that soda is not only devoid of nutrients but it can also cause several diseases. Soda: Its Advantages One of the fastest ways to satisfy thirst is by drinking soda. It provides relief from the heat and in many cases provides the energy that one will need to get through the day. With the introduction of diet soda, people who are watching their weight can now get a sweet treat minus the calories. Aside from these advantages, however, there is very little of value in soda. To better understand this claim, a quick look in the ingredient list will reveal a lot of information. Eight of the most common ingredients used in soda include the following: carbonated water, food color, food flavoring, phosphoric acid, calcium saccharin, potassium benzoate, caffeine, and aspartame. Carbonated water gives the soda its fizz and tangy taste. It is used in many alcoholic beverages to increase the uptake of alcohol in the blood. As its name implies, this is plain water mixed with carbon dioxide. Carbonated water can occur in nature (also referred to as sparkling water) and in this form, can actually have health benefits. Unfortunately, the carbonated water used in soda has undergone an artificial process and it lacks the nutrients that sparkling water has. In an article posted at LiveStrong.com (Jannen), it says that the danger with carbonated water is that most people have the tendency to drink too much. Also, most health issues concerning carbonated water are related to bone density. In a 2001 study (Heaney) involving children and adults, it was found that intake of carbonated beverages, especially colas, is associated with higher risks for fracture due to increased excretion of calcium through urine. In the same paper (Heaney 346), it was also found that reduced bone mass is also due to increased intake of phosphoric acid. This finding is corroborated by another study done by Tucker, et.al. wherein the subject of research are men and women aged 30 to 87 years old. Just like in the 2001 research, Trucker, et.al found that increased intake of carbonated beve rages (particularly the caffeinated ones) caused as much as 3 to 5% decrease in bone mass density in both men and women (Tucker 937). Phosphoric acid, which is also found in soda, interferes with carbon absorption and is considered as a risk factor for osteoporosis. Moreover, the researchers discovered the same effects on both regular and diet cola varieties. Food coloring and food flavoring are purely synthetic materials and are processed with ammonium compounds which are my cause gastrointestinal problems.

Understanding Paul’s Case through Structuralism Essay Example for Free

Understanding Paul’s Case through Structuralism Essay Willa Cather presents â€Å"Paul’s Case† using vivid symbolism and language to depict Paul, his personality, his environment, as well as his life style. Willa Cather does not directly state Paul’s feelings, but through the use of language and symbols we can imply many things about Paul, and the type of person he is. Using structuralism and semiotics to analyze Paul’s case provides the opportunity to take certain concepts in the story and understand the true meaning that lies behind them. In â€Å"Paul’s Case† language and symbolism will provide an effective understanding of Paul’s withdrawn and misunderstood behavior, as well as how his â€Å"reality† of life affects him externally and internally, the meaning behind the change in narration and the sequence of events that led to the tragic ending of Paul’s life. â€Å"Paul entered the faculty room suave and smiling. His clothes were a trifle outgrown and the tan velvet on the collar of his open coat was frayed and worn; but for all that there was something of the dandy about him, he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red carnation in his buttonhole. (Cather 490) There are many concepts that lie behind this quote. His suave smile is representing his calm relaxed personality, he has been suspended from school, but his unsettle demeanor portrays that he is not filled with sorrow. His clothing is described as trifle, outgrown, frayed, and worn which can represent low economic status, or a definite need of attention. His teachers frown upon the red carnation in his buttonhole. The flower is symbolic of his attitude. The underlying sign of the red carnation flower is the concept of defiance. The author does not state that Paul is being defiant, but it can be implied by the reactions from his teachers. The meaning behind the language in the beginning of the story and the symbolism behind his behavior and his clothing is that Paul is withdrawn and misunderstood. â€Å"The structure of language itself produces realitythat we can think only through language, and therefore our perceptions of reality are all framed by and determined by the structure of language. † (Derrida) In â€Å"Paul’s Case,† we can only determine Paul’s reality through the language that identifies Paul’s experiences. â€Å"The moment he turned into Cordelia Street he felt the waters close above his head. After each of these orgies of living, he experienced all the physical depression which follows a debauch; the loathing of respectable beds, of common food, of a house penetrated by kitchen odors; a shuddering repulsion for the flavorless, colorless mass of every-day existence; a morbid desire for cool things and soft lights, and fresh flowers. † (Cather 494) This is the type of life Paul dreams of having. The interpretation behind this concept is happiness. Happiness that comes from having a warm comforting home, and â€Å"cool things. † Unfortunately Paul desires these things because he has the exact opposite. â€Å"His ugly sleeping chamber; the cold bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror, the dripping spigots; his father, at the top of the stairs, his hairy legs sticking out from his night-shirt, his feet thrust into carpet slippers. † (Cather 494) This description of his environment depicts Paul’s â€Å"reality. † Paul is depressed about having to go home, he does not like being there. Paul cannot control these circumstances because he does not want to accept that this where he comes from. Paul wants to live a lavish life style; he does not accept his â€Å"reality. † According to the descriptions provided in the text Paul is struggling with both internal and external conflicts. â€Å"Writers and dramatists learn from infancy: it’s stronger to show the audience than to tell them. To say that â€Å"George was a good friend† leaves no impression; for impact, the writer shows what friendship meant to George. (Bernstein) At the time that Paul decides to flee to New York, Willa Cather changes the narration to be from Paul’s perspective. â€Å"Here and there on the corners were stands, with whole flower gardens blooming under glass cases, against the sides of which the snow flakes stuck and melted; violets, roses, carnations, lilies of the valley-somewhat vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed unnaturally in the snow. † (Cather 499) The use of language has shifted into positive descriptions of the atmosphere. Paul is not, as it seemed in the beginning, an abnormal person. He is a person with dreams and ambitions just like everyone else. The fact that he went to such extreme measures to fulfill his dreams of visiting New York shows his determination. He did not ever want to return to Cordelia Street. For him, home was worse than jail, and the thought of it was sickeningly vivid. This shows just how unhappy he was at home. The change in narration occurs to provide the reader with a prominent perception of Paul’s life and through his explanation of the environment we can imply that he is finally content with his life at this point in time. His golden days went by without a shadow, and he made each day as perfect as he could. † (Cather 500) â€Å"A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie. † (Montague) â€Å"He could remember a time when he had felt so at peace with himself. The mere release from the necessity of petty lying, lying every day and every day, restored his self-respect. † (Cather 500) Paul’s unhappiness caused him to lie. The author says, â€Å"petty lying† which is defined as meaning less lying to prove that he above the others. The underlying concept behind the lying is that Paul is ashamed of who he is, it is not directly stated in the text, but it is implied by Paul’s behavior. â€Å" His dearest pleasures were the grey winter twilights in his sitting-room; his quiet enjoyment of his flowers, his clothes, his wide divan, his cigarette, and his sense of power. † (Cather 500) This description of the things that brought happiness to Paul is a dream. The dream he longed to obtain no matter what he had to do to get it. Through the system of language that is used through the story we learn that Paul seems to self-absorbed, unhappy, and not quite sure of whom he is. These characteristics of his personality lead Paul to a tragic ending. Paul commits suicide. â€Å"He felt something strike his chest, and that his body was being thrown swiftly through the air, on and on, immeasurably far and fast, while his limbs were gently relaxed. The because the picture making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black, and Paul dropped back into immense design of things. † (Cather 502) This use of language does not state directly that Paul committed suicide, but the author states, the picture making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black. The concept behind this line is that his memory of life disappears. Paul would rather be dead then to go back to the life he had back home. The Language in the story is not difficult to understand. When Willa Cather describes certain concepts or images in the story there can be more then one meaning that one can obtain from it. Language is a system that is used to communicate ideas and thoughts. Words are just a jumble of letters the true meaning is the concept that lies behind them.

Source Analysis: The Death of Hector :: essays research papers

The Death of Hector is actually just one part of a larger work. The Iliad was written during the Dark Ages of Greece by a blind poet named Homer. It was mainly entertainment, but today has turned into a significant, though unrealistic History of the Dark ages of Greece. The Iliad was written and performed for a bunch of drunk, barbaric nobles who were the soldiers of the time. That’s the reason Homer put so much descriptive battle scenes and gory details. This is what they wanted; lots of blood, to go with the drinking and war. It is through this we get our first accurate picture of the times of ancient Greece: A backwards, warlike, perpetually drunk society whose only real interest was to gain respect and honor by killing everyone else. This makes no sense, since if you kill everybody for glory, who is left to honor you? Anyway, this was the main reason Homer wrote the Iliad. The specific story of the Death of Hector shows tells the story of Hector, who wants to fight Achilles outside the city gates. He refuses his father’s request to come inside and be protected. In the end he is killed. This entire episode shows the way one should act. Even if scared, it is better to die in battle than to live a coward. This was one of the basic tenants of the Greek code of conduct. So, not only did the stories entertain, but they also were the early Greeks code of conduct. If they were to be a "good Greek", they were to strive to be like someone in the pantheon of heroes. This honor code was needed to keep the people under one standard of honor and loyalty, and what is good, right, and acceptable. This honor code existed for many years, until Classical Greece

Impressions of an Indian Childhood Essay

Impressions of an Indian Childhood and The School Days of an Indian Girl What is Gertrude Bonnin complaining about? Is she even complaining? She got to go to school and get an education for free. She even went on to go to college. Very few white Americans could say that in those days, much less Native Americans. Even today a free ride through college is a rare occurrence. Of course she experienced a few hardships along the way. Learning a new language was definitely a challenge for her in the beginning, although one she overcame quite well (after all, she did win an oratorical contest at her college). Living by the rules of a different culture was another challenge for her. But she eventually became accustomed to the new ways and she learned how to adjust. And of course she went through many years of discrimination and persecution, simply because of the fact that she is a Native American. But in the long run, wall the challenges she overcame helped to improve herself as an individual and as a representative of a culture. We must all go through hard times and face many difficult challenges in our lives if we want to make a better life for ourselves. As long as there are different races, racism will always exist. People like Gertrude Bonnin who can overcome racism and discrimination by succeeding in the â€Å"white man’s world,† are the people who help others like them be accepted in our culture.