Coding and Redundancy: Man‐made and Animal‐evolved Signals

Citation

Hutton, D.M. (2009), "Coding and Redundancy: Man‐made and Animal‐evolved Signals", Kybernetes, Vol. 38 No. 5, pp. 843-844. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684920910962731

The animal kingdom has already influenced many technological innovative systems, cyberneticians and systemists have for decades learnt a great deal from animal behaviour and have applied it in both their theoretical researches and to many practical applications. Numerous devices have been produced to mimic both the actions and methods of communication used by such creatures.

This book takes an extensive look at both man‐made signals as a class and compares them with signaling in animals. The book by Hailman aims to cover such signaling and so will be of value to those who work in this area and also to readers who have an interest in finding out more about a fascinating subject. In consequence, the text becomes an introduction to the signaling of animals and also to many facets of the communication systems used by humans.

To do this Hailman introduces such signaling systems and by compiling principles of quantitative information theory is able to evaluate them. We are told that the method used to encode information in nonverbal human produced signals and animal‐evolved signals are similar in many respects. He cites, for example, the similarity in many traffic light signals and tornado sirens which have information encoded, and animal‐evolved signals such as colour and sound patterns.

Coding and redundancy are discussed and principles evolved and presented. Coding to reduce redundances are considered. This is an appealing book which covers much ground. It was in danger of falling between what was the authors desire to produce a study for specialists and still make it readable for the non‐specialist. It does meet both aspirations but only in part.

As a result it makes the case for two separate texts to accommodate the requirements of each group of potential readers. Even so, this book makes a worthwhile contribution to this study.