---
title: Shannon Information Theory
date: 2025-11-11T00:00:00
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
So, I was just staring at the ceiling fan this morning, you know, trying to get my brain to wake up before I even think about touching my phone. It's kind of become this ritual. I lie there, listening to the faint hum of it spinning, and the thought just floats in—like, information is everywhere, right? But how much of it really matters? Cue Shannon Information Theory.
Honestly, maybe it started with a half-remembered YouTube video or something I read online while doing my endless scroll through Reddit before bed. I don’t know. Claude Shannon, though, the guy who kind of tried to measure the chaos—information chaos? I might’ve butchered that. The whole idea of information being measurable blew my mind a bit. Like, how does one even measure “bits” of surprise or whatever? Is life just a series of unexpected bits? I can’t even predict whether my morning coffee will taste weird or not, let alone decode life's surprises.
And thinking back to my attempt at detoxing from social media—was it last spring or the one before? Anyway, I remember deciding I needed to be more "mindful" about the information I was absorbing, whatever that means. I went on this spree, deleting apps, turning off notifications, subscribing to all these "mindful living" channels—most of which I haven’t watched. Maybe I thought I was reducing my noise, making my personal information theory, more efficient? Or something like that.
But then, here’s the kicker, how does one even determine what to filter out? Is it the stuff that’s less surprising or the constant barrage of mundane? Somehow, I ended up reading some research, or maybe it was a podcast, about how the brain’s always trying to predict surprises. Like, it kinda feeds off the unexpected bits. Does that mean we shouldn’t be cutting it all out, even if it feels overwhelming?
I guess there’s a parallel with my on-and-off relationship with working out. There's that predictable pattern again. Running is supposed to clear my head, right? Unpack life’s chaos. Only, half the time, I end up more confused. Running through thoughts like, am I doing this right? Is it even helping or just adding more noise? Like, maybe the key is in finding the right balance of noise and calm? But then again, that’s probably different for everyone.
So, Shannon’s whole shtick, if I remember it correctly, kind of hints that not all information holds the same weight. Some stuff matters more. But how do you figure out what’s just noise? Or is it all subjective and constantly shifting, like my attention span when I'm trying to work from home and not dive into another Deep Dive rabbit hole on YouTube? I guess I’ll sit with the uncertainty, staring at the fan, waiting for some revelation that may never come. Who knows.