Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA19169 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 2 May 2001 14:13:26 +0100 Subject: Re: Information Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 09:08:58 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20010502130909.AAA21908@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 05/02/01 04:49, Robin Faichney said this-
>between physical
>information, which exists for its own sake, and the more usual sort,
>information that's about something.
If I understand this (and I must rephrase to understand, it's a
peccadillo) - physical information is what is needed by an entity for
existence - that necessary sufficiency of its fullness - the universals,
if you will - the fact that hydrogen and oxygen can combine to form water.
The problem is, I don't see any _information_ as being there, but
formulation and organization, determined by physical constants and
properties.
It's not information, to me, until someone can use it. And the fact that
processes happen in nature ain't someone using them, (unless you consider
that god might be), but, the way things happened.
And evolution is the information about the way things happened....
- Wade
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