Hi FISers!
First an idea. Do you know Linux, basically a Finnish invention? Do you know
Nokia, basically a Finnish invention? What we offer here is basically a
Finnish (yes) invention (?). And to process it like the Linux. Vision is,
that Nokia- type phenomenon will form. We believe on networked, free system.
Lets make information science in a new way!
Then an offer. What you get? We offer joy and fun. See below. Ref. Linux and
Spinoza.
And now some first comments to our "theory", and by "our" I mean you (the
reader, FISers) and us, the starters.
A. To understand the point of the theory, one has to step outside the human
information concept (brains) and to look what are the differences, if there
is any, in relationship to other information concepts (cell, book, computer,
laws of nature...). Is there something that unites these different concepts?
And to really understand ourselves, we have to understand where we come
from. We have to understand evolution, also in respect to the information,
if we really want to understand information. This is also a holistic view to
information.
B. It is important to notice that computer (generally lower level
information systems, or lower level systems as a general) does not have
consciousness, it just is processing the differences that have "meaning",
significance, for it according to simple physical etc. laws. So computer is
not brains, computer is more like a speedier and linear neuron. Computer
does not interpret information. It does some signal processing. Parts of a
computer system does not have a "understanding" meaning for the computer,
but a meaning in that sense, that without a part that have a "meaning" for
the computer, it is not a computer (or a system) anymore or it does not
function as a computer (or a system) anymore. This apply to every lower
level system and its part. This "meaning" of the parts of a system is just
the definition of a system: A system consists of parts, that have a
"meaning", without which the system is not a system anymore.
So human information notion like "meaning", "interpretation", "knowledge",
"understanding" and "wisdom" have a equal, less demanding counterpart in
lower information system. The basic system is the same: New emergent level
of information mean new notions for information.
C. Our theory explains the following "standard" information notions or other
important aspects of the existence:
- 1. Information hierarchy (e.g. data, information, knowledge,
understanding, wisdom) and what is the process from lower level to the
higher level
- 2. what consciousness is and how it is formed and what will follow
- 3. the importance of difference in existence
- 4. how existence is expanded to new forms of system
- 5. the importance of the part and recursion in the existence and how
relationships of part and the whole is mandatory
- 6. how there is no new material in the existence, just new order? Or
relationship of material, energy, information, systems?
- 7. how new information is a product of material context and of the
information context
- 8. that information has a threshold effect that is dependent of the
structure of the system
- 9. that the relevance of information is system and time dependant
- 10. how information separates from matter and builds up abstract
information levels
- 11. why it is not possible to duplicate human higher information
(knowledge, understanding and wisdom)
- 12. why information can be multiplied but not the material
- 13. that there is potential information and information that acts
- 14. why information can replace other resourcies
- 15. that information is (a) a message, (b) a media (Ref. McLuhan) and (c)
the glue that binds the system together
- 16. that philosophical truth is always relative
- 17. where Plato was right (mostly) and were he was wrong concerning some
information ideas
- 18. why human understanding is always individual
- 19. how the basic cybernetic system of information and act is formed
- 20. how to research complex information systems
See also our original message for some consequencies from our "theory".
These above 20 results are discussed more below.
1.Information hierarchy: One idea of the ENSI- theory is that there are in
evolution different kinds complex information systems and lots of more
simpler ones. Every information system starts at the bottom:
a) What is the basic unit of information of the system? The basic difference
in the difference that has a meaning for the system. (A bit, a ATCG-
(adenine, thymine..) selection in a DNA, a letter, a neuron...). The system
can (of course) identify its basic information unit and it has an effect
("meaning") on the system. This basic unit is called data. Data is a
selection from valid code possibilities. Data as a basic information unit is
seldom real information for its system.
b) A collection of data, that has a extra "meaning" for the system is called
information (A byte or word, four sequential ATCG (adenine...) parts, a
word, a pack of neurons (?)...). There happens an emergent transition from
data to next information level, and the lower level information has an extra
significance at the next higher level according to the structure of the system.
So in English information is a general notion of information and collection
of data? Or is there better definitions? In Finnish we can bypass this problem.
c) When the system is "processing" (information is having its effect in the
system) its information, it gets extra "meaning" for the system (A word (32
bits) = machine instruction code, a 4 sequential ATCG- parts = amino acid
code, a three letter word (cat) = a special kind of pet animal, a pack of
neurons = ?). There happens an emergent transition from information to next
level information, where the information has its effect. So the importance
of the act. In a man we call it knowledge.
d) Hereafter the process is recursive: The higher level "interprets" a bunch
of lower information and gets it an extra "meaning", so the sum is bigger
than the part, because of the "interpretation" of the structure. There
happens an emergent transition from lower level information to the next
higher level. A new and bigger information unit is formed at every level and
is can be addressed as a one unit. At every level more material base in also
needed for the bigger information units or for higher levels. Ref. New level
is a bunch of lower level information units.
An example: Computer:
a) Fist information level: data, the basic information unit is a bit, zero
or one. One choice that halves the uncertainty.
b) Second information level, byte or word (e.g. 32 bits), information, a
collection of data, that as a new unit has an extra "meaning" for the
computer besides its parts, the 32 bits.
c) Third information level, e.g. machine instruction code, significance of
information (a 32 bit word) to the computer, "knowledge": The first
"interpretation" by the structure of the computer, the microprocessor. This
"interpretation" puts extra significance ("meaning") for the information. 32
bits (information) are transformed to a machine language code, for instance:
load register A with a memory place that is pointed by register B, so e.g.
0101.....101 (32 bits) = Load(A,B), a new unit, one machine instruction
code, a new unit of selection.
c) Fourth information level, subroutine, "understanding": The meaning of a
bunch of information. A collection of "knowledge" that has an extra
"meaning" for the computer. For example a subroutine that multiplies two
floating point numbers. Now there is a new unit that has extra "meaning" for
the computer as a higher system than the machine instruction code. It can be
suppressed to a more abstract information: (SubRMultip(A, B)), actually e.g.
3200 bits and 100 machine instruction codes.
d) Fifth information level, a whole program, "wisdom": The "meaning" of a
bunch of "understanding", that has extra "meaning", significance for the
computer. For instance a spreadsheet program. It can be suppressed to a more
abstract format (e.g. Lotus123), actually 10.000.000 bits, 100.000 machine
instruction codes, 1000 subroutines and one program framework.
e) whole computer (hardware and different levels of software) ... (Apple)
f) network of computers ... (the computer network of your company)
g) network of networks of computer... (internet)
2. What consciousness is and how it is formed and what will follow?
Consciousness is the product of evolutionary process to bigger information
units. Consciousness is an emergent new feature at high level of information
hierarchy. Consciousness is difficult to understand because it is very
probable, that there are many levels of subfeatures that are emergent
between the consciousness level and the neuron level. Consciousness is also
difficult to understand because it is based on the most complex and most
networked structure we know, the human brain. There will be (or is already)
higher level information systems than the human consciousness. And they are?
Bigger, and/or maybe based on different structural principles. Ref. neuron
signals 0,1 km/s, light 300.000 km/s.
3. The importance of difference in existence:
Is there anything to measure, to perceive if there is no difference? Ref.
induction (from parts to whole) and deduction (from whole to parts). If
there is no differences, there is nothing, to which there is no differences.
4. How existence is expanded to new forms of systems
There is three kinds of information in regard to existence:
a) Information to be interpreted = past, what have existed before. Past is
also the cause - effect relationships from present towards the beginning of
the universe. So this is the information structure of the universe, energy
that keeps the universe in order. And also, the theories and the information
of the universe have always been there and are always there as the cause -
effect relationship, as the information of the universe.
b) Information interpreting = present systems (material and its structural
information), parts for new systems to exist latter
c) interpreted = future, what will exist after the act. So the importance of
the act.
Ref. to Popper's three worlds: (1) Physical world = past, to be interpreted,
(2) mental = present, interpreting and (3) ideas = future, interpreted
information and after the act, existing new things. Ref. also Plato's world
of matter and world of ideas. Plato misses the mental information and the
importance of the act? Ref. semantics.
An example:
a) Information to be interpreted: (an imagine of) a cake
b) Information interpreting = present systems (material and its structural
information), parts for new systems to exist: A human being, a knife and an
intent
c) interpreted = future, what will exist after the act. So the importance of
the act: The cake is halved by the human being with the knife and now there
is two parts of a cake. Intent (information) and act = new systems, or in
this case, a new difference.
5. The importance of the part and recursion in the existence and how
relationships of part and the whole is mandatory:
Existence: The whole: No difference, no information. Void?
A part of the existence: Now there is two relationship (?): From the part to
the existence and from the existence to the part. But if these two
relationships do not exist? So the part has no relationship to the
existence, the part does not exist to the existence. So there is no part for
the existence, which is impossible, contrary to the premise. So, if there is
a part it has to have a relationship to the existence, otherwise it does not
exist as a part of the existence, so to the existence.
Is the existence a whole that has recursively divided to its basic elements
and is now processing towards bigger systems, towards the initial whole?
With Big Bang this means that to divide releases energy? And to unite means
to consume energy?
To multiply information means to build a new structure, to unite things.
This means that to multiply information means to consume energy, to use
euros, pounds etc.
6. How there is no new material in the existence, just new order? Or
relationship of material, energy, information, systems?
If there is a new system in existence, it is caused by something already
existing. So a new system is just a new order of the previous part of the
existence. So, there is nothing new (material) in the existence, just new
order of older (smaller) systems. Or if energy is released, smaller systems
than previously. So what we have here? Relationships of material, energy,
information, systems?
So a modification to our theory:
New Assumption 7: To form a new bigger system one needs energy. To break a
systems to its parts releases energy.
Old Assumption 7 = New assumption 8.
This is fun, try it! Ref. Linux as a process. And fun = joy and Spinoza.
What! Ok, to move from parts to whole is a joy (something like that).
Wait! Old parts we have already. So we need energy and what we get? A new,
bigger system. And the relationships of its parts, information, interpreting
structure. So energy = information. It forces something to happen. Systems
to function. Yes. It have to be energy! What was Big Bang? Huge release of
energy, it is a huge release of information. But! There is two kind of
energies. The potential energy, energy that is capable to cause something
and energy that causes something after the act. So again, the importance of
the act. Ref. Spinoza.
Yes. This is fun! Try it!
7. How new information is a product of the material context and of the
information context:
Interpreted information is a product of two parts:
a) interpreting information, which is an internal cause, it is the structure
of the system (hardware) and, if the system is capable to learn, its learned
models (software)
b) information to be interpreted, which is an external cause, the
environment, the existence, the material context, which is interpreted as
information.
So interpreted information is a product of the material and information
context, both internally and externally,
If there is no external information (cause) for a system it is because the
system is the existence, the whole.
8. That information has a threshold effect that is dependent of the
structure of the system:
To process information to a higher level requires a bunch of lower level
information. One information can not be information on a new higher level,
because it already on its own level. At what level a bunch of lower level
information is a new information unit on a new higher level, depends on the
information system, because the structure of the system is interpreting its
information. Ref. data fusion. Computer. Cell/DNA...
This means also, that information has a system dependant threshold - effect.
There is no effect on a bunch of lower level information before there is
enough lower level information to cause a unit of higher level information.
Ref. wisdom, understanding, knowledge.
9. That the relevance of information is system and time dependant:
System dependance has been dealt with earlier (interpreting or
"interpreting" structure). If a system is capable to store interpreting
information (models etc.) and use this stored information, the state of the
system is time dependant. At different times an input information has
different interpretation because of different interpreting information. Ref.
a modification of a gene expressed in the next generation. The same applies
to the input information. Different input information on the same
interpreting information has different information as an output. Ref. a
change in the evolution and required change in the DNA. Or change in the
size or functioning of the social, technological, military etc. systems of a
man and required change in the social, technological, military etc behaviour
of the individual and its bigger systems. To notice the change (a
difference) in the outer systems and to act on this information to your
advantage, is to survive.
10. How information separates from matter and builds up abstract information
levels:
Only consciousness (an emergent feature on high level of information
hierarchy) gives the system an ability to think, to assign meanings, to
interpret. On a lower level the process is similar, but without "freedom",
it is automatic or acts according to laws of physics etc. The software
level, the phenomenon, where the information is separated from the matter,
puts extra flexibility to the information system, because there no need to
build an other structure of rearrange the old to support new needs. But;
this level is based on matter. Ref. brains and the abstract thinking of a
man. And still, the extra level of abstract information processing requires
larger unit than the lower level in same kind of information system. So even
the enlarged abstract information processing requires large material base.
11. Why it is not possible to duplicate human higher information (knowledge,
understanding and wisdom)?
It has been sed that one can not duplicate the interpreting information
(knowledge), just physical information, data and information. This is not
quite true according to our theory. Interpreting information can be
duplicated by duplicating the interpreting structure. This is not possible
regarding the brains of a man. But it is possible regarding the computer.
This is a descriptive example of the holistic point of view of our theory.
Human information is just one information system in the evolution, although
important to us. But to concentrate on human interpretation of information
will not lead to wider understanding of the information in general. But
wider understanding of the information in the evolution will lead to new
understanding of the human information.
12. Why information can be multiplied but not the material?
Information can be multiplied and it is still a difference. Information is a
difference and if the structure (a electronic state of a couple of
transistors, a chapter in a book) of the information can be multiplied, the
information can be multiplied. It is still a difference, even in regard to
the original information, if it has a difference to original information.
The difference can be place (ref. bits in a computer memory) or time (same
philosophical ideas separated by thousand years) etc.
13. That there is potential information and information that acts:
Information has an effect only through the act. This has been demonstrated
earlier. So there is (a) potential of information to act and (b) used
information that has been acted upon.
One central question (of the information society or of the information war)
is to distribute the right information potential to the actor for a base to act.
14. Why information can replace other resourcies:
Information is a difference that has a meaning for its system. Meaning = has
some effect on the system. So by finding from the information potential a
special kind of information (that has effect x), we can replace with this
information other kinds of resources that would have the same effect (x).
So information can replace other effecting resources. How much, is system
dependent.
15. Information is (a) message, (b) a media and (c) glue that binds the
system together.
(a) In out theory input information, information to be interpreted is the
message.
(b) In our theory the interpreting information, the structure of the system
is the media. (Ref. McLuhan)
(c) In our theory the relationship between the parts of a system is
information and the glue (energy!, see, 6.) that binds the system together.
16. That philosophical truth is always relative:
Information as a (human) philosophical truth according to our theory is
always a relative one. It is always based on its interpreting structure, so
different information structures, systems, have different truths.
Information also as a philosophical truth is a product of the input
information. This means that information as a philosophical truth has a time
dependance (in learning systems). This is evident in the evolution of the
science and of the philosophy.
The intuition is still behind our theory. We cannot find a interpretation
for the intuition. Still, we (Sakari and Risto) believe in it. What do quant
researchers say?
17. Where Plato was right (mostly) and were he was wrong concerning some
information ideas:
Plato (some examples) and our information theory:
The myth of the cave (life as shadows in the wall): A man (an information
system) can not know the world as it is through his senses. His
understanding is always a limited interpretation. This is according to our
theory. But: Plato's real world (ideas through reason) is a cure but not
the final cure as Plato sees According to our theory human thinking is based
on a limited, although extremely complex and extremely networked structure
(brains) and is so limited by its structure. There will be in evolution (or
is there already?) higher information levels than the human thinking as we
know it now. So according to our theory sense based information is bad
(Plato right), human reason based information is better (Plato right), but
higher information levels are still better (an enlarged information view,
that Plato did not have). According to our theory, there is lower level
information processing than the human (abstract) thinking and there is, or
will be higher level information processing than the human (abstract) thinking.
World of reason: Ideas, mathematics. Plato considers this as a the real
world. According to our theory, if ideas exist, they have a cause, they do
not exist alone. (According to our theory, nothing can exist alone.) Here we
have a conflict with Plato. Our first try to explane this: Plato misses the
mental world (?), which for instance Karl Popper has. Ideas and mathematics
exist, but only because the mental world (thinking). And mental world exist
only because of the physical world (brains).
World of sense: Physical world. Plato considers this as a imperfect and
changing. According to our theory this is information to be interpreted by
the stricture of the system. It is in accordance with our theory. The
interpreted information, world of sense, is always limited. First limited by
the input (senses) and secondly limited by the interpreting structure.
Plato and the "atheia", that all knowledge is already there. This is also
according to our theory. All that is, is based on what have been in the
past. So every structure, it is all information, is because of the cause and
effect relationship. Through this cause and effect relationship all that
exists now, have been as a potential earlier and have materialized latter.
Also, everything that will be possible will materialize after its
precondition are formed. So material take time to form, but information as a
cause and effect (the structure of the universe) have been there since the
Big Bang.
For the human being it is important to notice, that for him/her this
"all-information" is just a potential, that he/she as a limited structure
cannot (ever) understand.
18. Why human understanding is always individual:
New information is produced by input information and by the structure of the
system. So, different structures have different effect on the same input
information. Ref. we are all individuals, entities with different history,
values etc. So, we are different structures, when interpreting our inputs.
Ref. also hierarchy, fully connected net and mesh. Further, if the structure
has special qualities, this will effect on its information processes. Ref.
nets have feedback loops, a structure that can cause nonlinear or
exponential effects. Ref brains and computer.
19. How the basic cybernetic system of information and act is formed:
Cybernetic systems: "They are dynamical systems that possess input, state
and output, and consequently an evolution equation. Such a system is
cybernetic if it is possible to distinguish an observational sequence (of
the inputs), followed by a decisional sequence leading to the effectors
organs (related to outputs), being well understood that the observational
sequence allows the system to observe its environment and itself."
(http://www.imprint.co.uk/thesaurus/cybernetic%20system.htm)
So according to our theory:
1. Dynamic systems: Ok. (recursive relationships between a part (system) and
its environment)
2. Input, state, output: Ok. (state = structure, system)
3. Evolution equation: Ok. (Evolutionary ... theory)
4. observational sequence (of the inputs): Ok. (difference that has a meaning)
5. followed by a decisional sequence: Ok. (interpreted information, the
effect of the meaning)
6. leading to the effectors organs (related to outputs): Ok. (the importance
of the act, to effect)
7. being well understood that the observational sequence allows the system
to observe its environment and itself: Ok. (recursive relationships between
a part (system) and its environment; interpreting information)
20. How to research complex information systems?
According to our theory the key words are complexity, networks and
emergence. They are interrelated. All are difficult and new notions.
Emergence is especially difficult. In multilevel information systems like
the brains, one has to find the path through sequential emergent features,
level by level. The basic research question is: What is the entity that
forms a new emergent feature and what this emergent feature is? This is a
recursive question at every new level.
This first feedback is from:
Sakari Ahvenainen (original writer of the theory, freelance researcher,
postgraduate student (Ph.D.) In Tampere University of Technology), Finland
Risto Korhonen (original writer of the theory, researcher and M.Sc. (Eng.),
Finland
Tom Wilson (professor of Information Science), England
Tommi Vehkavaara (Ph.L., lecturer), Finland
Aki-Mauri Huhtinen (Major G.S.and Dosent of practical philosophy University
of Helsinki). Finland
Matti Pitk�nen (freelance researcher), Finland
No FISers?
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Received on Tue Sep 23 09:39:25 2003
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