Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Nexus opens with an attempt to define the concept of information. While physicists, biologists, and philosophers struggle to define basic elements like matter, energy, life, and reality, information is increasingly seen as a fundamental “building block of reality” (3). Harari highlights that defining information is contentious due to its diverse applications in fields like physics, biology, and history. 

Harari provides historical examples, such as the story of Cher Ami, a carrier pigeon in World War I (See: Key Figures), and the NILI spy ring during the British-Ottoman conflict, to illustrate how information can be represented in various forms beyond just human-made symbols. Harari argues that what constitutes information depends on context and perspective. He challenges the “naive view” (7) that information is simply a representation of reality that, when it succeeds, is called truth. Harari instead suggests that most information in human society and nature does not directly represent reality. 

Harari also explores the concept of truth, defined as an accurate representation of certain aspects of reality, while acknowledging that even truthful accounts cannot fully capture all aspects of reality. He concludes that truth highlights specific aspects of reality, inevitably leaving some details out.