Response to Prof. Ebeling veiwpoints

Dear Prof. Ebeling, Koichiro and All:

The perspective of Prof. Ebeling appears to include several novel views
which could be of value. Not being trained in physics, it is difficult
for me to distinguish between the physics and the philosophy.
Nevertheless, I will risk asking some questions which may help me
understand the communication and select among alternatives.

Prof.Dr. Werner Ebeling wrote:
> Let me summarize my points of view in brief:
>
> A) On the relation between thermodynamical entropy and informational entropy:
>
> 1. Information entropy is the more general concept.

As thermodynamic entropy is a measurable quantity and informational
entropy a mathematical abstraction, is it desirable to compare the
generality of the two concepts?
What advantage is gained from this comparison?
>
>
> 5. The quantitative aspect of the information transfer from
> sender to receiver (not the pragmatic aspect, not the meaning !),
> is measured by the transfer of entropy. \\

Is this also true for the material objects, such as a drug molecule or a
toxic chemical? That is, is the entropy (heat capacity) of a molecule
related to the informational content for the organism?
>
> 6. The amount of energy transfer in information-processing
> is in general not relevant, but there exist constraints from physics.

One implication of this generalization is that the amount of energy our
brains burn in order to process information is unimportant; but is this
consistent with the physical evidence of EEG observations on excited and
comatose patients?

> >
> B) Properties of information and relation between information and life
>
> 1. Information can have two basic forms:
> - free information, is what is transferred betweem sender and receiver,
> - bound information, is a structure which is an actual or potential
> information carrier.

Is it necessary that both the sender and the receiver be dynamical
systems which are organized to communicate?

How does the character of 'bound' information relate to heat capacity?
Is bound information countable? How does the term 'carrier' relate to
the terms 'sender' and 'receiver'?
>
> 2. Bound information is always connected with with a definite material
> structure as e.g. DNA, free information is abstract/symbolic. Free information
> is to a high degree independent from the carrier}.
>
> 3. Free information is connected with meaning and with goals (Zweck).
> This is the pragmatic aspect of information processing.

Is the implication that bound information is *NOT* associated with
goals?
When an organism (a structure with Zweck) seeks a nutrient (another
structure), is this free or bound information?
>
>
> 5. There is no life without information-processing. Information-processing
> is a 'conditio sine qua non' for life. Life star(t)s with the ability to
> create, to process, to store and to transfer free information.

Some examples here would be very helpful.
(I would have thought just the opposite - that life started with
structural chemicals with electrostatic affinities for one another.)
> >
> 7. In course of evolution several 'phase transitions' from
> bound to free information are observed.

Some examples here would be very helpful. Physically, living systems
are extremely heterogeneous...more like a 'glass' than a crystal.
>
I find the distinction between free and bound information to be unique
and novel. But I need alot of help in relating it to thermodynamic,
chemical or other quantifiable quantities. The term 'processing' often
implies a mathematical map or function; is that the intent here?
 Is it possible that these terms (free and bound) are grounded in
emerging concepts which will be verified in the future?

Sincerely

Jerry LR Chandler
Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia 22102-1407
Received on Thu Jan 22 05:08:48 1998