John Tukey

Did You Know This ‘Bit’?

John W. Tukey, a prominent statistician, coined the terms “bit” and “software.” “Bit,” introduced in 1946, is a contraction of “binary digit,” while “software” emerged in a 1958 article. Tukey’s contributions to statistics include pioneering exploratory data analysis and inventing the Fast Fourier Transform. His impact is widely recognized.