Re: A Critical Question

"Lester Zick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 19:31:05 GMT, "OmegaZero2003"
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:
>
> >
> >"Lester Zick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> [. . .]
> >> >
> >> You know, I have no intention of denying what you suggest. Everything
> >> we know about concrete blocks suggests they are not alive and do not
> >> possess all the ostensible attributes we assign to the brain. What I
> >> was trying to point out was simply that the blood and guts theory of
> >> brain function doesn't really explain how it differs from what we
> >> consider consider blocks.
> >
> >Sure it does; brain is a dissipative structure; blocks are not.
>
> I'm not sure what you mean exactly by dissipative. Heat dissipative?

No!  A dissipative struture is one that takes in energy from the local
environment to maintain complexity (negentropic).

See Illya Prigogene FMI.

> If so any material structure fulfills that definition.
> >
> >That is one obvious difference.
> >
> >Another is that brain's create information.  Blocks do not.
>
> And you know this how? So far I haven't seen any exact definition for
> information except the one I offered in terms of differences.

An active agent is required to create information from a signal (only
differences make a difference and therby create information - Bateson; note
that that Batesonian truism implies (if you read his work), that the : "make
a difference" clause refers to an un-named subject - that is - some
cognizing entity - be it an insect, a plant or a human.  Cognizing here is
meant to be taken in a *very broad* sense!

To make the transform from data to information, and thence to knowledge (in
higher-cognizing forms) and thence to wisdom (in still higher-cognizing
forms), energy is needed.  Energy from the local environment - thus the
reference to negentropy.


> All I've
> seen are collations of ostensible properties in descriptive terms and
> suggestions as to how they would be processed by the brain if the
> brain is interpreted as a turing/boolean process.
> >
> >>
>
>
>
> Regards - Lester
>