Role of information in human affairs

During the last two decades, so many electrical engineers have become primarily concerned with the collection, manipulation, communication and use of `information¿ that the phrase `information engineering¿ has come into use to denote their activities. About a year ago, Murray Laver delivered a stimulating lecture (on which the article published in may 1979 E&P, p. 329, is based) on the subject of electronics applied to information engineering, in the course of which he made an eloquent plea that the information engineer should not be content to be a neutral artificer concerned only with the mechanics of the processing and communication of information, but that he should also cultivate an awareness of the social purpose of his wares to complement his skills in making them. His plea fell on at least one pair of receptive ears ¿ mine! I propose to try to pick up Murray Laver´s challenge and discuss the role of information in human affairs