Any information can be reduced to a sequence of simple yes/no questions, called bits.
Shannon showed you can measure information exactly like a weight, in units called bits. One bit equals a single yes-or-no question. String enough bits together and you can describe a photograph, a song, or an entire book, no matter what original language was used to create it.
Why it matters Every file sent over the internet today is, at its core, just a long string of bits.