From communication to information: when practice overshadows theory

Abstract

The foundation of the field of physics currently known as information theory is usually attributed to Claude Elwood Shannon. This article provides a historical study of the developments in the field from 1922 to the studies immediately following the 1948 series of publications, seeking to understand how the field developed, the various researchers’ roles, and why Shannon is considered the founder of the field. Along the period in focus, we could observe changes in the aspects prioritized in the research. It moved from the search for understanding what is conveyed in communication to focusing on the technological applications to the detriment of understanding the meaning of information.