Dear List, I bring Erik Verlinde's recent paper to your attention because it highlights some foundational issues in Information Science and the general use of the notion of "Information" in physics.
Here is the paper: On the Origin of Gravity and the Laws of Newton http://arxiv.org/abs/1001.0785 The paper has attracted a lot of attention and Lee Smolin's response, also on arvix, is really what made me begin to look at this question seriously. Though various people have been bringing the paper to my attention since it was first published in January. Verlinde appeals to a notion of an "entropic force" associated with a conception of information and frankly I'm puzzled by it. What, exactly, does he refer to I wonder and how does it relate to Shannon, if at all? My initial view is to suspect that the paper is a work of pure metaphysics and not physics at all. But then I ask myself to what degree it is less metaphysical than anything else we see in physics today. So I reserve judgement until I have given the matter more consideration. Anyone else concerned by this? With respect, Steven -- Dr. Steven Ericsson-Zenith Institute for Advanced Science & Engineering http://iase.info http://senses.info _______________________________________________ fis mailing list fis@listas.unizar.es https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
