ℹ Communicating Information

27 Oct 2016

Do Now (In Classroom)

What is your personal definition of “information?” What do you think “binary information” is?

Develop a binary question

The question should have two answers. The response could be “yes/no,” but it could also be choosing between two (or later, more) things.

Develop a device

Using only materials in the room, you will build a device capable of transmitting a binary message across the room or around a corner.

Rules

• No talking, no writing, no language.
• No throwing stuff
• Your device must work at a distance. You might will not be next to your partner.

🔄 Swap devices with another group and learn their rules. Can you communicate with your partner?

More Answers…

Let’s go from On & off to sequences of on and off.

(5 min) Can you invent new rules for your device to answer a question with four answers?

(5min) Can you iterate and invent new rules for your device to answer a question with eight answers?

Ok, now how about 1,000,000,000,000 possible answers?

Discussion

Could you use another group’s device to send your set of messages? Why or why not? What would you need to know from the other groups?

Based on what you’ve seen in today’s activity what do you think are the limitations on the kinds of information we can send with binary messages?