The math at the basis of information theory could help explain systems like ocean waves One summer afternoon over twenty years ago, Prof. Gregory Falkovich and his five-year-old son were bathing amidst gentle ripples in shallow ocean waters near Los Angeles, when they were suddenly knocked over by an unexpectedly tall wave, some ten feet high. Though the two were unhurt, Falkovich was understandably shaken, not least because the mass of water had washed away the glasses he needed for the drive back to hotel. But he was also fascinated: A personal encounter with the rare phenomenon known as a rogue, or freak, wave reminded him of the extent to which its origins remain mysterious.