A gentle, curious and humble man ranking with Einstein in terms of achievements.
At the age of 22 his masters thesis at MIT married Boolean logic and circuit design to introduce the fundamentals of digital computing with AND and OR gates, at the time implemented with relays, later transistors.
A few years later he introduced concepts of encoding various types of information (text, voice, image, video...) onto binary digits (bits).
Applying his mathematical skills to another field, he completed a PhD in genetics and transmission of characteristics between generations.
He went on to formally define information and quantify its size, allowing calculation of the threshold limit, the theoretical maximum bandwidth that a channel can carry. He introduced error correction of digital information, with huge implications for the transmission and storage of digital information. These principles were also used by von Neuman in making digital computing with unreliable components reliable. His work resulted in the conversion of telephone and communication networks from analogue to digital.
He made major contributions to compression and security technology, including providing the secure voice communications used between Churchill and Roosevelt during WW2.
Shannon also contributed to early AI by building a maze solving mouse and a chess playing computer. He co-organised the first AI conference in Dartmouth in 1956.
He is today recognized as the father of information theory. His work underpins our devices, computing, communications, digital media, encryption, compression - in short the fabric of the modern world. His contributions rank with those of Einstein, Newton and Darwin.
His quirks included juggling, riding a unicycle and making various crazy devices just for fun.
We owe him a great deal! Thanks Claude.