What is Information?

Data: Collection of facts (opinions, demographics, statistics)

But Data is not information…

Data: Collection of facts (opinions, demographics, statistics) This may not be Information: Not this

Data: Collection of facts (opinions, demographics, statistics) Information: * A message received and understood

Data: Collection of facts (opinions, demographics, statistics) Information: A message received and understood * A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn

Data: Collection of facts (opinions, demographics, statistics) Information: A message received and understood A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn * Knowledge acquired through study, or experience, or instruction

Data: Collection of facts (opinions, demographics, statistics) Information: A message received and understood A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn Knowledge acquired through study, or experience, or instruction * Information as the result of processing, manipulating and organizing data in a way that adds to the knowledge of the person receiving it.

Information: Something that changes what you know.

Suppose you received these reports:

Suppose you already knew everything in these reports:

Would you still want to pay for these reports?

Information: Something that changes what you know.

Information: It is a commodity.

Information: It is a commodity. It is property.

Information: 1. Value Dependent upon the value of decisions that can be made with a change in what you know.

Information: 1. Value Dependent upon the value of decisions that can be made with a change in what you know. Value = Benefit - Costs

In a business sense the value of information could be Negative.

Information: 1. Value 2. Amount Not dependent upon length or complexity

Information: 1. Value 2. Amount Not dependent upon length or complexity Amount is inversely proportional to the probability of the message

Claude Shannon

Three pictures Each has the same number of pixels

Three pictures Each has the same number of pixels So each has the same amount of:

Three pictures Each has the same number of pixels So each has the same amount of: DATA

Three pictures Each has the same number of pixels Each was judged to have the same amount of artistic and esthetical appeal.

Three pictures Each has the same number of pixels Each was judged to have the same amount of Artistic and esthetical appeal. So each as the same amount of:

Three pictures Each has the same number of pixels Each was judged to have the same amount of Artistic and esthetical appeal. So each as the same amount of: Quality

The print media stays in business by selling advertisements and influence Because…. People will be attracted to the media when they find something that they didn’t already know.

In other words… people are attracted to and buy Information Even if it is wrong!

Editors will then buy material that will sell…. This the key to doing successful PR!

Three pictures A. People enjoying a nice afternoon by an office building

Three pictures B. A map of a new high-rise business building.

Three pictures C. President Obama meeting with a real alien

Three pictures A. People enjoying a nice afternoon by an office building B. A map of a new high-rise business building C. Obama meeting an alien Which one will be worth the most money?

Three pictures A. People enjoying a nice afternoon by an office building B. A map of a new high-rise business building C. Obama meeting an alien Which one that has the lowest probability!

Information: 1. Value 2. Amount 3. “Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions.

“Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions. Reliability

“Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions. Reliability Validity

“Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions. Reliability Validity Relevancy

“Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions. Reliability Validity Relevancy Currency

“Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions. Reliability Validity Relevancy Currency Sufficiency

“Goodness” Ability to be used to make correct decisions. Reliability Validity Relevancy Currency Sufficiency Efficiency Try:

Information: 1. Value 2. Amount 3. “Goodness” 4. Evaluation

Information: Evaluation Who produced it?

Information: Evaluation Who produced it? When was it produced?

Information: Evaluation Who produced it? When was it produced? How was it produced?

Information: Evaluation Who produced it? When was it produced? How was it produced? How was it analyzed?

Information: Evaluation Who produced it? When was it produced? How was it produced? How was it analyzed? Why was it produced?

Information: Evaluation Who produced it? When was it produced? How was it produced? How was it analyzed? Why was it produced? Who benefits from this information?

Information: Evaluation Who produced it? When was it produced? How was it produced? How was it analyzed? Why was it produced? Who benefits from this information? Why is this information available to me?

Information: Warning signs:

Information: Warning signs: 1. Confirms what you have always known.

Information: Warning signs: Confirms what you have always known. Confirms what you WANT to believe.

Information: Warning signs: Confirms what you have always known. Confirms what you WANT to believe. Contradicts what you have always known.

Let’s give it a try….

Campaign Trail news | news Obama opens 14-point lead in new poll CBS News/New York Times survey shows larger gap than other polls. USA Today 10/15/08

CBSNYT POLL: 'OBAMA HAS 14-POINT LEAD'... ZOGBY WEDNESDAY: OBAMA 48.2%, MCCAIN 44.4%... NOT SURE 7.4%... RASMUSSEN: OBAMA 50% MCCAIN 45%... 10/15/08

Information: Warning signs: Confirms what you have always known. Confirms what you WANT to believe. Contradicts what you have always known. Is GOOD THINK.

Information: GOOD THINK: The “proper” way to think about any topic. The “politically correct” way to think. George Orwell book “1984”

Global Warming

Global warming demands US attention

Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’

Global warming demands US attention Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’ Candidates must face global warming

Global warming demands US attention Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’ Cycle just might be cooling trend Candidates must face global warming

Global warming demands US attention Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’ Cycle just might be cooling trend Candidates must face global warming Ecologists raise global warming alarm at UN

Global warming demands US attention Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’ Cycle just might be cooling trend Boise Breaks Early Snow Record, Where's the Global warming? Candidates must face global warming Ecologists raise global warming alarm at UN

Pay no attention to global-warming alarmists Five strange, terrifying consequences of global warming Global Warming and Carbon Dioxide Ethics UW prof proposes cloud experiment to fight global warming Headlines from 8/27/2012

What is the scientific problem with using current weather patterns to verify global warming?

What we know about climate change and drought climate-change-and-drought/ “And the short version is this: Droughts have multiple causes. The United States has suffered worse droughts in the past. It’s not yet clear whether we’ve reached the point where global warming is making droughts worse again, at least in North America. But evidence suggests that droughts will become more intense in many parts of the world if the planet keeps heating up — a trend that could disrupt the world’s food supply.” Link between global warming and drought questioned and-drought-questioned.html “Roger Pielke Jr. of the University of Colorado in Boulder says that since the PDSI uses a formula that assumes higher temperatures cause more droughts, it was hardly surprising that it finds a link.”

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