Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 127-138 (February 2010) | doi :10.1038/nrn2787 http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v11/n2/full/nrn2787.html
:) Ken On Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 8:19 AM, Pedro C. Marijuan < pcmarijuan.i...@aragon.es> wrote: > > Dear Loet, Steven, and colleagues, > > During last ten years or so, with particular success in most recent years, > Karl Friston has developed his free energy optimization principle, based on > Shannon's information theory and optimal control theory as well as on the > Bayesian brain hypothesis. I think this is the most advanced work towards a > unified brain theory today. The minimization dynamics of the cerebral free > energy construct (it is a sort of Helmoltz program revisited) becomes a > generative process of perception, action, learning and adaptive behaviors > in general. The 2010 paper (Nature Reviews Neurosceince, doi: > 10.138/nrn2787) where he precisely argues about a unified brain theory, is > quite representative of his proposals. On a personal basis, during last two > decades I was following and cooperating with Kenneth Paul Collins (we > published a book in Spanish about the emergence of behavior from brain > dynamics). Our scheme was based on the minimization of a collective > variable supposedly a sort of "entropy" of excitation/inhibition ratios > topologically distributed among neuronal surfaces of the cortex that was > performed essentially by the medial parts of the brain. Although very rich > in qualitative and behavioral aspects, the formal part was too weak > (awfully weak). Until recent years I could not connect meaningfully > Collin's approach with other works, and unfortunately he left scientific > research long ago--but now the marriage with Friston's is remarkable. > Putting them together may be a very fertile exploratory avenue. > > best ---Pedro > > Loet Leydesdorff wrote: > >> >> Dear Steven and colleagues, >> >> >> I did not (yet) study your approach. Is there a paper that can be read as >> an introduction? >> >> >> It seems to me that one can distinguish between formal and substantial >> theories of information. Shannon’s mathematical theory is a formal >> apparatus: the design and the results do not yet have meaning without an >> interpretation in a substantial context. On the other side, a theory about, >> for example, neuro-information is a special theory. One can in this context >> use information theory as a statistical tool (among other tools). >> Sometimes, one can move beyond description. J >> >> >> The advantage of information theory, from this perspective of special >> theories, is that the formal apparatus allows us sometimes to move between >> domains heuristically. For example, a model of the brain can perhaps be >> used metaphorically for culture or the economy (or vice versa). The >> advantages have to be shown in empirical research: which questions can be >> addressed and which puzzles be solved? >> >> >> Best, >> >> Loet >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> Loet Leydesdorff >> >> /Emeritus/ University of Amsterdam >> Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR) >> >> l...@leydesdorff.net <mailto:l...@leydesdorff.net>; >> http://www.leydesdorff.net/ >> Honorary Professor, SPRU, <http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/>University of >> Sussex; >> >> Guest Professor Zhejiang Univ. <http://www.zju.edu.cn/english/>, >> Hangzhou; Visiting Professor, ISTIC, <http://www.istic.ac.cn/Eng/ >> brief_en.html>Beijing; >> >> Visiting Professor, Birkbeck <http://www.bbk.ac.uk/>, University of >> London; >> >> http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ych9gNYAAAAJ&hl=en < >> http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ych9gNYAAAAJ&hl=en> >> >> >> *From:* stevenzen...@gmail.com [mailto:stevenzen...@gmail.com] *On >> Behalf Of *Steven Ericsson-Zenith >> *Sent:* Tuesday, December 09, 2014 10:13 PM >> *To:* l...@leydesdorff.net >> *Cc:* Joseph Brenner; fis >> *Subject:* Re: [Fis] Information-as-Process >> >> >> The problem with this approach (and approaches like it) is that it is >> descriptive and not explanatory. The distribution of the shape, in my >> model, can be described, perhaps, but the process or action decision point >> and response covariance is impossible to consider. >> >> It is for this reason that I use holomorphic functors and hyper-functors >> in which I can express the explicit role of a base universal (per >> gravitation). >> >> >> Nor is it clear to me that this is what Joe referred to as "information >> as process." >> >> >> On Mon, Dec 8, 2014 at 10:20 PM, Loet Leydesdorff <l...@leydesdorff.net >> <mailto:l...@leydesdorff.net>> wrote: >> >> Dear colleagues, >> >> >> Shannon’s information theory can be considered as a calculus >> because it allows for the dynamic extension. Theil >> (1972)—Statistical decomposition analysis (North >> Holland)—distinguished between static and dynamic information >> measures. In addition to Shannon’s statical H, one can write: >> >> >> mailbox:///C|/Documents%20and% >> 20Settings/pcmarijuan.iacs/Datos%20de%20programa/ >> Thunderbird/Profiles/2vg9i0k9.default/Mail/pop3.aragon-1.es/ >> Inbox?number=1793468636&header=quotebody&part=1.1.2&filename=image001.png >> >> >> in which >> mailbox:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/pcmarijuan.iacs/ >> Datos%20de%20programa/Thunderbird/Profiles/2vg9i0k9.default/Mail/ >> pop3.aragon-1.es/Inbox?number=1793468636&header=quotebody&part=1.1.3& >> filename=image002.pngcan >> be considered as the a posteriori and >> mailbox:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/pcmarijuan.iacs/ >> Datos%20de%20programa/Thunderbird/Profiles/2vg9i0k9.default/Mail/ >> pop3.aragon-1.es/Inbox?number=1793468636&header=quotebody&part=1.1.4& >> filename=image003.pngthe >> a priori distribution. This dynamic information measure can be >> decomposed and aggregated. One can also develop measures for >> systemic developments and critical transitions. In other words, >> information as a process can also be measured in bits of >> information. Of course, one can extend the dimensionality (/i/) >> for the multivariate case (/ijk/…), and thus use information >> theory for network analysis (including time). >> >> >> Best, >> >> Loet >> >> >> References: >> >> · Leydesdorff, L. (1991). The Static and Dynamic Analysis >> of Network Data Using Information Theory. /Social Networks, >> 13/(4), 301-345. >> >> · Theil, H. (1972). /Statistical Decomposition Analysis/. >> Amsterdam/ London: North-Holland. >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> ------------ >> >> Loet Leydesdorff >> >> /Emeritus/ University of Amsterdam >> Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR) >> >> l...@leydesdorff.net <mailto:l...@leydesdorff.net>; >> http://www.leydesdorff.net/ >> Honorary Professor, SPRU, >> <http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/>University of Sussex; >> >> Guest Professor Zhejiang Univ. <http://www.zju.edu.cn/english/>, >> Hangzhou; Visiting Professor, ISTIC, >> <http://www.istic.ac.cn/Eng/brief_en.html>Beijing; >> >> Visiting Professor, Birkbeck <http://www.bbk.ac.uk/>, University >> of London; >> >> http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ych9gNYAAAAJ&hl=en >> <http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ych9gNYAAAAJ&hl=en> >> >> >> *From:* Fis [mailto:fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es >> <mailto:fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es>] *On Behalf Of *Steven >> Ericsson-Zenith >> *Sent:* Monday, December 08, 2014 10:22 PM >> *To:* Joseph Brenner >> *Cc:* fis >> *Subject:* Re: [Fis] Information-as-Process >> >> >> I am a little mystified by your assertion of "information as >> process." What, exactly, is this and how does it differ fro >> information in general (Shannon). Is it related to Whitehead's >> process notions? >> >> >> In terms of neuroscience it is important to move away from >> connectionism and modern computational ideas I believe. It is not >> clear to me how information theory can be applied to the operation >> of the brain at the synaptic level because the actions and the >> decisions made are made across the structure and not at a single >> location. >> >> Recognition, for example, is not a point event but occurs rather >> when a particular shape is formed in the structure (of the CNS, >> for example) and is immediately covariant with the "appropriate" >> response (another shape) which may be characterized as a >> hyper-functor (which may or may not include neurons and astrocytes >> in the brain). >> >> >> Regards, >> >> Steven >> >> >> >> >> > > > -- > ------------------------------------------------- > Pedro C. Marijuán > Grupo de Bioinformación / Bioinformation Group > Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud > Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Aragón (CIBA) > Avda. San Juan Bosco, 13, planta X > 50009 Zaragoza, Spain > Tfno. +34 976 71 3526 (& 6818) > pcmarijuan.i...@aragon.es > http://sites.google.com/site/pedrocmarijuan/ > ------------------------------------------------- > > > _______________________________________________ > Fis mailing list > Fis@listas.unizar.es > http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis > -- Ken Herold Director, Library Information Systems Hamilton College 198 College Hill Road Clinton, NY 13323 315-859-4487 kher...@hamilton.edu
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