Dear colleagues,
The metaphors are sometimes confusing. For example: Along the line of your argument, meaningfulness would be exclusive to dynamical systems where agency, purpose, and self-interest have emerged. I would further limit meaningfulness only to the cultural domain. Meaning can be provided by human agency. Sometimes meanings can be codified at the supra-individual level. The ascription of meaning by us to non-human behavior (of animals or molecules) does not mean that these non-human operate with meaning. As Maturana would say: it is "as if" a semantic domain is shaped (in second-order consensual domains). When such a system encounters a bit of physical information it might or might not apprehend the bit. A bit is dimensionless and not "physical". Probabilistic entropy is different from physical entropy (S = k(B) * H). The physical dimension (Joule/Kelvin) is provided by the Boltzmann constant. Bits are thus non-physical: not res extensa, but res cogitans (cogitatum). It can only apprehend the bit if something about the system's dynamics is changed as a result of the encounter. It would only be meaningful to that system if it is "a difference that makes a difference". In other words, if the change in the system's dynamics affects system function in some way, then that bit of information was meaningful to that system. This can lead to the measurement and testing of hypotheses. The example of the gravitational pull of the sun on the earth can be considered in this framework. The first think I would say is that there are plenty of systems in and on the earth, but the planet itself does not necessarily constitute a system. This is an empirical question (depending on the research question). Systemness can be tested, using for example, the Markov property. A big rock floating in space does not imply an internal system that could apprehend or change dynamically in response to gravitational pull. On the other hand, dynamical geological processes within the earth, biological/ecological systems on the earth, or weather systems in the atmosphere might qualify; and these system could potentially apprehend and respond meaningfully to the sun's gravitational pull. Very metaphorical "apprehension" and "response". One could also use "react"? Or do you mean "significantly" instead of "meaningfully"? Significance can be tested statistically. On the other hand, the information encountered as a result of exposure to the gravitational pull might be entirely transparent to (not detectable by) some of these systems. At least this is how I think about this interesting issue. Best, Loet Cheers, Guy Guy Hoelzer, Associate Professor Department of Biology University of Nevada Reno Phone: 775-784-4860 Fax: 775-784-1302 hoel...@unr.edu On Oct 23, 2014, at 7:13 AM, Bob Logan < lo...@physics.utoronto.ca <mailto:lo...@physics.utoronto.ca> > wrote: Dear Stan - could you clarify that last sentence of your = perhaps I misinterpreted it - are you saying that context in a purely physical abiotic situation is somehow related to interpretation and hence information. I apologize in advance if I mis-interpreted your remarks. In framing my advanced apology to you Stan, I inadvertently used the term mis-interpreted. This sparked the following idea: Mis-information is due to misinterpretation of the receiver whereas dis-informatio is due to the intended deception of the sender. A further thought about whether abiotic physical processes can be construed as information: Meaning and hence information can only exist for a system that has a purpose, a telos, or an end it wishes to achieve, i.e abiotc system such as a living organism or even a cell. "So-called information" with out meaning is only signals. And even there, to say that the sun's gravitational pull on the earth is a signal is to engage in anthropomorphic thinking. And to suggest that the sun's gravitational pull on the earth is information does not make sense because there is no way that anything can have meaning for the earth. The earth has no objective or purpose, Gaia hypothesis not withstanding, For us earthlings it is another matter. We have figured out that the sun exerts a gravitational pull on the earth and the statement to that effect has meaning for those able to grasp elementary physics but the gravitational pull is not information in itself only a description of that gravitational pull of the sun on the earth is information. Bob ______________________ Robert K. Logan Prof. Emeritus - Physics - U. of Toronto Chief Scientist - sLab at OCAD http://utoronto.academia.edu/RobertKLogan www.physics.utoronto.ca/Members/logan www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Logan5/publications On 2014-10-23, at 9:27 AM, Stanley N Salthe wrote: Pedro wrote: PM: Regarding the theme of physical information raised by Igor and Joseph, the main problematic aspect of information (meaning) is missing there. One can imagine that as two physical systems interact, each one may be metaphorically attributed with meaning respect the changes experimented. But it is an empty attribution that does not bring any further interesting aspect. SS: I have advanced ( On the origin of semiosis. Cybernetics and Human Knowing 19 (3): 53-66. 2012 ) the idea that whenever context influences importantly any reaction which, even in the physical realm, might be viewed as an informational exchange, there is the forerunner of the interpretation of an interaction, Such a simple 'interpretation' (proto-interpretation) would then be the forerunner of meaning generation. When context importantly influences the outcome of a physical interaction, this brings a "further interesting aspect" beyond the purely physical. STAN _______________________________________________ Fis mailing list Fis@listas.unizar.es http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis _______________________________________________ Fis mailing list Fis@listas.unizar.es http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis _____ John Collier colli...@ukzn.ac.za Philosophy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041 South Africa T: +27 (31) 260 3248 / 260 2292 F: +27 (31) 260 3031 Http://web.ncf.ca/collier
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