Shannon's most radical insight was that meaning was irrelevant.

Bernoulli's real contribution was to coin a word. The word has been translated into English as "utility". It describes this subjective value people place on money.

There were many at Bell Labs and MIT who compared Shannon's insight to Einstein's. Others found that comparison unfair - unfair to Shannon.

Are there any mythical beasts which aren't simple pastiches of nature? Centaurs, minotaurs, unicorns, griffons, chimeras, sphinxes, manticores, and the like don't speak well for the human imagination. None is as novel as a kangaroo or starfish.

The best paradoxes raise questions about what kinds of contradictions can occur-what species of impossibilities are possible.

A bit is worth 10,000 basis points.

Samuelson, however, hedged his personal bets - by putting some of his own money in Berkshire Hathaway.