November 1, 2012
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmRecommended: The Logician and the Engineer
By Marissa Fessenden
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The Logician and the Engineer: How George Boole and Claude Shannon Created the Information Age
by Paul J. Nahin
Princeton University Press, 2012 (($24.95))
Grab a pencil and paper to work through the puzzles peppering this engaging account of Boolean logic and computing through the work of 19th-century mathematician George Boole and 20th-century electrical engineer Claude Shannon. Math writer and emeritus professor Nahin assumes some rudimentary knowledge but expertly explains concepts such as relay circuits, Turing machines and quantum computing. Reasoning through the problems and diagrams will give persistent readers genuine aha moments and an understanding of the two revolutionaries who helped to lay the foundation of our digital world.
COMMENT ATScientificAmerican.com/nov2012
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
