Re: Information & Physics

Dear Koichiro,
Dear Koichiro and all,

sorry for not participating at the highly interesting discussions in
the last weeks...

you write:
>
> >I think the real problem is, how one of those forms of information
> >can be converted into the other.
>
what does it mean: _can can be converted into the other_?

What does it mean _to convert_?
If we say: a form of information 'is converted' into another form of
information, then which process(es) of 'conversion' (of information)
are at stake?
Some suggestions:
1. to convert means to transform one form into another one, or to
re-mould one form into another (in German: _Umformung_)
(I am thinking, for instance, on the use of the word
_metamorphosis_ See: the work with this title of the Latin poet Ovid)
2. to convert means a _transformation_ (in German: _Umwandlung_) that
would mean a less superficial or external change as in 1. Some basic
characteristics or the previous state disappear and other new ones
come out, through:
a) reorganization of the structure
b) new kind of 'substance'
c) both
3. to convert means to cast something already existing into a new
'completely' way (latin: cum-vertere: which means also to turn around
and take a completely new position; this word is used for instance
with regard to a religious 'conversion' starting from, for instance,
an atheist commitment, the New Testament Greek term for this is _metanoia_ which
refers to the chaning of the _mind_ (nous); Plato uses the word
_periagoge_ when indicating the change of mind (and action) of the
philosopher in the _cave_ ).
In all three cases with start with 'something' that is not
necessarily a substance (as in the third case) and we point to
possibilities of being (otherwise).
A conversion into a new way of being implies that a new kind of
information has become possible. But, on the other hand, a change of
mind (a religious conversion, or instance) can hardly be explained
just by going back to biological processes (although they may be very
influencial! Well, excuse me for this irony...)
To convert would mean, to sum up, the process of casting being(s) (and
of being cast!). As you know Carl-Friedrich von Weizsaecker uses the
concept of information in two complementery ways:
- information is what pro-duces information (See G. Bateson:
Information is a difference that makes a difference)
- information is possible only within a concept (a _concept_ is,
according to Weizsaecker, primarily something linguistic, but he uses
this word also in a broad sense, i.e. as _structure_)
It would be highly interesting to hear contributions of people of
this list thinking about the conversion of matter into energy or of
non-living matter into life etc.
Kind regards,
Rafael

 
Received on Mon Feb 16 09:42:20 1998