The Physics of Forgetting: Thermodynamics of Information at IBM 1959–1982
The work
| Title | The Physics of Forgetting: Thermodynamics of Information at IBM 1959–1982 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Aaron Sidney Wright |
| Type | article |
| Year | 2015 |
| Citekey | wright2015physics |
Where it appeared
| Published in | Perspectives on Science |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The MIT Press |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 112--141 |
Identifiers
| DOI | 10.1162/posc_a_00194 |
|---|---|
| OpenAlex | W2063274882 |
Access
| Landing page | https://doi.org/10.1162/posc_a_00194 |
|---|
Abstract
The origin and history of Landauer’s principle is traced through the development of the thermodynamics of computation at IBM from 1959 to 1982. This development was characterized by multiple conceptual shifts: memory came to be seen not as information storage, but as delayed information transmission; information itself was seen not as a disembodied logical entity, but as participating in the physical world; and logical irreversibility was connected with physical, thermodynamic, irreversibility. These conceptual shifts were characterized by an ambivalence opposing strong metaphysical claims to practical considerations. Three sorts of practical considerations are discussed. First, these conceptual shifts engaged materials central to IBM’s business practice. Second, arguments for metaphysical certainties were made with reference to the practical functioning of typical computers. Third, arguments for metaphysical certainties were made in the context of establishing the thermodynamics of information as a sub-discipline of physics.
Copy held
| Kind | PDF, 1.3 MB |
|---|---|
| Retrieved | 2026-08-05 |
| Held | local, for personal reference |
| Where it came from | https://doi.org/10.1162/posc_a_00194 |
Where this came from
| How it got here | the agent went looking · found via openalex |
|---|---|
| First seen | 2026-08-04 |
| Standing | endorsed |
| Approved | 2026-08-05 |
Cite it as
@article{wright2015physics,
title = {The Physics of Forgetting: Thermodynamics of Information at IBM 1959–1982},
author = {Aaron Sidney Wright},
year = {2015},
journal = {Perspectives on Science},
volume = {24},
number = {1},
pages = {112--141},
publisher = {The MIT Press},
doi = {10.1162/posc_a_00194},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1162/posc_a_00194},
}
This record lives at https://refs.drheap.org/wright2015physics/ and will keep doing so.