Information: Keywords

For decades, we have been told we live in the "information age"-a time when disruptive technological advancement has reshaped the categories and social uses of knowledge and when quantitative assessment is increasingly privileged. Such methodologies and concepts of information are usually considered the provenance of the natural and social sciences, which present them as politically and philosophically neutral. Yet the humanities should and do play an important role in interpreting and critiquing the historical, cultural, and conceptual nature of information. This book is one of two companion volumes that explore theories and histories of information from a humanistic perspective. They consider information as a long-standing feature of social, cultural, and conceptual management, a matter of social practice, and a fundamental challenge for the humanities today. Bringing together essays by prominent critics, Information: Keywords highlights the humanistic nature of information practices and concepts by thinking through key terms. It describes and anticipates directions for how the humanities can contribute to our understanding of information from a range of theoretical, historical, and global perspectives. Together with Information: A Reader, it sets forth a major humanistic vision of the concept of information.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction: Information and Humanities, by Michele Kennerly, Samuel Frederick, and Jonathan E. Abel Abundance, by Damien Smith Pfister Algorithm, by Jeremy David Johnson Archive, by Laura Helton Bioinformatics, by Haun Saussy Cognition, by N. Katherine Hayles Gossip, by Elizabeth Horodowich Index, by Dennis Duncan Intel, by Geoffrey Winthrop-Young Keyword, by Daniel Rosenberg Knowledge, by Chad Wellmon Noise, by Matt Jordan Screen, by Francesco Casetti and Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan Search, by David L. Marshall Self-Tracking, by Deborah Lupton Tele (Τῆλε), by Wolf Kittler Contributors Index

About the Author :
Michele Kennerly is associate professor of communication arts and sciences and of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at the Pennsylvania State University. Samuel Frederick is associate professor of German at the Pennsylvania State University. Jonathan E. Abel is associate professor of comparative literature and Japanese at the Pennsylvania State University.

Review :
These essays take information and fifteen related terms as opportunities to probe historical meanings, hidden assumptions, and social and political implications. Each one offers a distinctive blend of literary references, critical theory, and humanistic analysis to challenge any simple conclusions about the impact of today’s information technologies. Richly thought-provoking! This volume assembles an all-star cast to show how concepts saturated with contemporary relevance also trail clouds of intellectual glory. It demonstrates how rich the flowering can be when humanities cross-fertilize with technology talk. This collection of essays introduces the audience to a number of key terms necessary for the understanding of information in its denaturalized, noninstrumental forms. Written by a diverse group of leading scholars, it sparkles with reference, fact, and insight. Drawing on history, philosophy, theory, and other humanistic perspectives, the contributors are successful in offering important answers to what it means to navigate the Information Age from the intersection of humanities and technology. Academic in approach and tone, this volume will be valuable for those interested in interdisciplinary, humanities, communication, information studies, computer science, and data science programs. A timely contribution.