The Discrete Charm of the Machine

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By Ken Steiglitz

Published Dec. 10, 2018

The Discrete Charm of the Machine (Princeton University Press) examines the history of converting analog signals and machines to digital ones, how quantization helps us to compute things, and the limitations imposed by digital computing on fully understanding and modeling the detail our world.

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The February 2026 cover of PAW, featuring a photo of Joseph Nye.
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