Claude Shannon laid the foundation for the information age in a revolutionary paper in 1948. In 1986, a journalism student visits the forgotten Shannon to learn how this reclusive genius saw the future. But Shannon is more interested in showing off the gadgets he’s been working on (juggling robots, a mechanical mouse that can “learn” a maze, a wearable computer to win at roulette, a flame-throwing trumpet) than rehashing the past. Using contemporary interviews, archival footage, and animation, The Bit Player reveals a man who revolutionized the world, but never lost his child-like curiosity.