Re: "minimum separabile" and the memetic code

From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Sun 02 Feb 2003 - 07:14:25 GMT

  • Next message: Keith Henson: "A few bits (around half a megabit)"

    snip

    >That's true for information encoded in 1s and 0s, but how many bits are in
    >a codon? Information can be passed in units other than bits, as it is in
    >language. Language can be translated into bits, but that is not the
    >primary unit of structure in language. There is no reason why it should
    >be so in memes which are encoded in language. What is the basic unit of
    >transfer in imitation or art? Is a statue, for example, composed of
    >bits? Or an idea?
    >What about facial expressions and body language? Information comes in
    >many forms and can be transmitted in whole units (pictures, actions,
    >tools, etc.,) and many formats.

    It doesn't matter. Just like everything material is made out of atoms, everything informational can be measured in bits. This is fundamental.

    Keith Henson

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