Shannon's most radical insight was that meaning was irrelevant.

Expectation is a statistical fiction, like having 2.5 children.

Samuelson, however, hedged his personal bets - by putting some of his own money in Berkshire Hathaway.

Use "entropy" and you can never lose a debate, von Neumann told Shannon - because no one really knows what "entropy" is.

The more improbable the message, the less "compressible" it is, and the more bandwidth it requires. This is Shannon's point: the essence is its improbability.

The best paradoxes raise questions about what kinds of contradictions can occur-what species of impossibilities are possible.

The best strategy is one that offers the highest compound return consistent with no risk of going broke.

The ultimate compound return rate is acutely sensitive to fat tails.

In real conversations, we are always trying to outguess each other.

The story of the Kelly system is a story of secrets - or if you prefer, a story of entropy.

A bit is worth 10,000 basis points.

I think sincerity was my sole aesthetic and realism my experimental technique.

People who own everything know how to relax a little and bend and exhale once in a while, but they're not going to let it get out of control.

As ministers our greatest temptation is toward too many words. They weaken our faith and make us lukewarm. But silence is a sacred discipline, a guard of the Holy Spirit.

It feels like I'm starting to come into my own in terms of where I want to go artistically, toward more complicated, interesting characters.

Youth is thy gift, - the youth that baffles Time.

But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of therest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before.

I don't see novels ending with any real sense of closure.

Empathy zooms you in on an individual and, as a result, it's narrow, it's innumerate, it's racist, it's very biased.

The delight we inspire in others has this enchanting peculiarity that, far from being diminished like every other reflection, it returns to us more radiant than ever.