Dear Bob and Pedro, Perhaps, we can move this further by considering the sciences not only as processing information, but also knowledge and meaning. Meaning can in the abstract perhaps be considered as provided by a system for which the Shannon-type information can make a difference. This results in meaningful information within the system (Delta H). Delta H can be positive or negative: the information can add to the confusion or reduce uncertainty.
When the system contains an additional axis it is able to assess the meaningful information using this axis for the codification. Knowledge could then be considered as a meaning that makes a difference. The mutual information in three dimensions (uncertainty, meaning, knowledge) can be used as an indicator of potential reduction of the uncertainty. With best wishes, Loet ________________________________ Loet Leydesdorff Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR), Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam. Tel.: +31-20- 525 6598; fax: +31-20- 525 3681 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; http://www.leydesdorff.net/ > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Pedro > Clemente Marijuan Fernandez > Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 10:04 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Fis] From Bob Ulanowicz, Re: streams of order (III) > > On Tue, 17 Jun 2008, Pedro Clemente Marijuan Fernandez wrote: > > > If a new vision, informational one, may be established, it should > > emphasize at the very bottom adaptability by means of > communication and > > self-production activities, usually networking > relationships which are > > continuously altered under the changes of within and the > signals from > > the external. Societies (e.g., structures of social bonds), Brains > > (neural nets), Cells (protein&gene nets) are the theaters where the > > "changes" derived from the new "signals" extracted from > happenstances > > are realized as "meanings". Disciplinary netwoks would join > too, as they > > are dramatically altered in their (citations) structures > when success of > > a new approach following alien "recombination" methods > multiplies the > > possibilities to extract new meanings materialized in the new > > interconnections. > > Dear Pedro! > > I couldn't agree more! It resembles my own approach very much. > > I think the only other thing we need keep in mind is to be > aware that the > information in such networks is present not only in the > flows. Possibly, > the most important information is embodied in the network structure > itself. > > > Does it make sense? Are the sciences themselves "info souls" ---or > > better: is it useful and productive to nowadays contemplate > them from > > the info perspective? I think so, given our contemporary > needs. At FIS > > we should not renounce to produce the new doctrine or new > fashion for > > sci. planners and sci. practitioners of tomorrow... > > Here again, I offer a resounding "Yes!" Recall from one of my earlier > postings on this thread, information theory provides a new window on > reality that is not provided by conventional physics. Quantifying that > which is missing gives one the full ability to address > pattern in nature > and its genesis. > > The best, > Bob > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > ----------- > Robert E. Ulanowicz | Tel: (410) 326-7266 > Chesapeake Biological Laboratory | FAX: (410) 326-7378 > P.O. Box 38 | Email <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 1 Williams Street | Web > <http://www.cbl.umces.edu/~ulan> > Solomons, MD 20688-0038 | > -------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------ > > > _______________________________________________ > fis mailing list > [email protected] > https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis > _______________________________________________ fis mailing list [email protected] https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
