What is information? Today’s topic being information theory.
Something that changes?
Data that conveys a message.
Data, knowledge, intelligence (like a spy would say).
Information has been defined by one person as a difference that makes a difference. Something that makes one thing stand out from another. We live in a world of information, really. A rock is different than a tree. A tree is different than the sea. You are different from me, and so on and so on.
How do we know when we have received information? How do you know that you saw what you saw? Or that you learned something new?
We are changed in some way.
I think we are constantly receiving information.
I have to ‘re-index.’
Sometimes it doesn’t register until later.
That is being argued to be the definition of life really, organizing information. Even the building blocks of our own bodies communicate in packets of information, DNA, RNA, electrical impulses.
All matter is really solidified information.
But what defines information is differentiation, form, and what makes, say, a human being different from a rock? What do you think?
Functions, processes.
Complexity of responses.
The rock has scratches on it that don’t heal.
Are those scratches – on both rock and me – information, though? They are indeed information. If having a scratch stands out, is a discernible detail, then it is information.
How is our behaviour arrived at?
Behaviour is either ingrained in us, or learned.
Behaviour arrived at through emotions?
Let’s look at our bodies as being just matter for a moment. Light bombards the eye. This triggers a biological reaction that sends an electrical impulse to the brain, and actually, a number of reactions take place in the eye before any signal is sent to the brain. But if the body is seen as being only matter, then that is all that happens. A simple physical and chemical response. Yet this leaves a big blank spot in observation. A whole chain of behaviours occurs in response to the simple biological processes, and they don’t necessarily stem from that simple single stimuli.
I ponder the interchangeability of matter and energy.
But, but, what about the invisible neutrinos? Invisible neutrinos have an impact on the behaviour of visible light. Light behaves as it does because of the medium it’s broadcast through. We may never see neutrinos, but we see the behaviour of neutrinos all the time.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~