Information theory and blackbody radiation

The formations of information theory are briefly reviewed. This background is applied to present a self-contained survey on some recent theoretical re sults oil statistical mechanics and thermodynamics of non-equilibrium radia tion-matter systems. Such results generalize the Planck and Stefan-Boltzman n laws, and the Wien displacement law. Present and likely future applicatio ns in physics, climatology and industrial processes are discussed in some d etail.