Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id UAA07807 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 1 Feb 2002 20:49:20 GMT Message-ID: <005d01c1ab61$4a12ad80$0d86b2d1@teddace> From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <200202010648.g116m8E03788@mail8.bigmailbox.com> Subject: Re: Abstractism Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 12:44:46 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> >From: Joe Dees
> >
> >> But this is because differential light patterns propel a visual array
> >into your eyes, where it is fed into your occipital lobes, from outside.
> >>>>
> >
> >Alright. So where's the "information" in there? Where's does the
> >"representation" come in? These are not physical properties and
> >cannot be located anywhere in spacetime, i.e. the universe, be it your
> > brain or the sun.
> >
> The information is in the configuration of the letters in the alphabet to
form words,
>>>
As I've said, it's not the configuration of the molecules of ink; it's our
interpretation of the configuration.
> If you look for an element called 'representatium" like one would look for
hydrogen, you're bound to fail, but if you seek meaning, information and
representation in configuration you will find them, for that is where they
are, and such configuration is indeed stored in the brain (as well as in
books and other places, using different coding schemas).
>>>
Physics deals with the structure of matter as well as its components.
There's no physical structure called "information" or "representation."
Electrons and quarks are contained in atomic structures. Atoms are
contained in chemical structures. Those are the only kind of structures
you'll find in the ink on a page.
> Unless they are physically configured in the commonly agreed upon shapes
and these shapes are combined in commonly agreed upn ways to form commonly
agreed upon words, we read nothing.
>>>
Exactly. It's our interpretation of the configurations, not the
configurations themselves, in which the meaning lies.
> There is a huge physical and configurational difference between ink
spilled on a page and ink written on that page in the form of words.
>>>
And it's in our interpretation of this configurational difference that
determines what is "word" and what is not.
> I think that just about everyone here (with the possible exception of you)
would agree that information is encoded in configuration.
>>>
You better call on the herd to back you up, 'cause you've got nothing else.
Ted
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