From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!mercury.unt.edu!ponder.csci.unt.edu!danny Mon Aug 24 15:40:40 EDT 1992
Article 6605 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: danny@ponder.csci.unt.edu (Danny Faught)
Subject: Re: Basic definitions
Message-ID: <1992Aug12.203235.14003@mercury.unt.edu>
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Organization: University of North Texas, Denton
References: <1992Aug10.211239.17308@access.usask.ca>
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:32:35 GMT
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In article <1992Aug10.211239.17308@access.usask.ca> choy@skorpio.usask.ca writes
>  . information
>
>    In the physical universe, there may be no such thing as information.   
...
>    At the lowest levels information is an abstraction.                    
>
How about this theory: Information exists only as the links between the
structures of the brain.  There is no neuron in your brain with a little
sticky note that says "Dog" on it.  Instead, that neuron is connected
with the other neurons that collectively define what a dog is, e.g., 
four legged, hairy, use to have one named Fido, etc.  These neurons
are in turn defined only by what they are connected to.

This definition may seem to have no ground case; to have no foundation.
How about this - The only thing the brain communicates with externally
is the central nervous system(*), and in turn, senses of what is going on
both internal and external to the body.  All information in the brain
is built around past experiences with the connections to the nervous
system.

(*) I guess I should acknowledge that there are other channels 
of communication as well, but that shouldn't change the argument.

You could argue that some of the information in the brain is pre-
fabricated, and that is how we have our instincts when we are 
born, and that is what everything else is built on.  But I won't
get into that.

Just my $0.01 (probably not worth $0.02)

>Henry Choy
>choy@cs.usask.ca
>



-- 
Danny Faught    danny@ponder.csci.unt.edu
Save this sig - I'll be famous someday


