INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR P.A. Berkman - Science 301:1669 (19 September 2003)

How can digital technologies enhance information management and knowledge discovery in our global society?

CLAY PAPYRUS PAPER DIGITAL TIME (years before present) INFORMATION TRANSPORT INFORMATION INTEGRATION INFORMATION VOLUME STONE HISTORY OF INFORMATION THRESHOLDS INFORMATION ERAS © 2005 EvREsearch LTD FUTURE

EFFECTIVELY INFINITE INFORMATION More than 20,000 petabytes of digital information is stored in various media in our world every year – and the rate is growing exponentially 240 terabytes/year 627,000 terabytes/year 427,000 terabytes/year Print Media Magnetic (Server) Media Optical (CD –DVD) Media Data Source: Film Media 83 terabytes/year 1,066,000 terabytes/year Magnetic (PC and Tape) Media

INSTANTANEOUS INFORMATION Data Source: Speed of computer microprocessors is increasing exponentially.

THE CHALLENGE OF OUR DIGITAL ERA Information Resources Relational Schema RESPOND TO THE FLOOD OF INFORMATION >80% <20%

INTEGRATION IS PROPORTIONAL TO GRANULARITY Permutations 3 15  p i =n!/p i !(n-p i )! 255 A model of the exponentially increasing volume of metadata by simply doubling the number of information granules (data), each of which is half its original size, while the volume of metadata per granule is fixed independent of granule size. CONCEPT OF INTEGRATION

OBSERVATIONS Information has content, context and structure. The notion of “unstructured” really means information that is “unmanaged” with conventional technologies (i.e., metadata, markup and databases). Databases, metadata and markup provide control for managing digital information, but they are not convenient. This is why less than 20% of the available digital records are managed with these technologies (i.e., conventional technologies are not scaleable). Search engines are extremely convenient, but provide limited control for managing digital information (i.e., long lists of ranked results conceal relationships within and between digital records). The search engine problem is that accessing more information does not equal more knowledge. We already have effectively infinite and instantaneous access to digital information. The challenge is no longer access, but being able to objectively integrate information based on user-defined criteria independent of scale to discover knowledge.

BORROMEAN RINGS Three interlinked circles that represent inseparable parts of the whole. Remove any one ring and the other two fall apart. Because of this property, Borromean Rings have been used as a symbol of unity in many fields. THE PHYSICS OF INFORMATION Information has three indivisible ingredients – content, context and structure.Information has three indivisible ingredients – content, context and structure. The ability to automatically utilize the inherent structure of information is the threshold in information management from hardcopy to digital media.The ability to automatically utilize the inherent structure of information is the threshold in information management from hardcopy to digital media. © 2005 EvREsearch LTD EvREsearch©

GRANULARITY MODULE INDEX MODULE INTEGRATION MODULE AGGREGATION MODULE DIGITAL RECORDS Digital Integration System TM – DIGIN ® Operates by first utilizing the inherent structure or patterns in digital information (text, binary data, or other symbolisms) without requiring an a priori understanding of the content (i.e., content agnostic); Automatically creates, comprehensively indexes and objectively integrates sets of information (i.e., automated granularity); Uniquely generates objective relational schema that automatically turn qualitative information into quantitative information without markup, metadata or databases; and, Provides both convenience and control to manage all types of digital information (“structured” as well as “unstructured”) independent of scale.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICATIONS After Invited Presentation at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Meeting in Tokyo, Japan - July 2000 "I really appreciate the work you have put in the with the [Antarctic Treaty] database. I use it almost weekly. It is a brilliant resource that should be used by SCAR, COMNAP, CEP etc. In fact, all output from Treaty groups should be in such a system." Dr. Lee Belbin Convenor, Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)

FOR FURTHER READING:

“Knowledge is the common wealth of humanity.” Adama Samassekou Convener of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society

RECOMMENDATION eGY acknowledges that information management with digital technologies still is in its infancy in comparison to the paper, papyrus, clay and stone media that each had been used for millennia to transfer knowledge in our civilization. eGY identifies that conventional technologies with metadata, markup and databases do scale to the increasing volume of digital information that is being produced. eGY recognizes that information traditionally has been managed based on its content and context. eGY further recognizes that all information has inherent structure, which has not been possible to utilize for information management purposes with hardcopy media. eGY supports innovations that seek to utilize the inherent structure of digital information to automate information management and facilitate discovery of objective relationships within and between information resources.