Hi FISers,
I find it convenient to define communication as an irreducibly triadic process
(physical, chemical, biological, physiological, or mental). I identify such a
triadic process with the Peircean semiosis (or the sign process) often
represented as the following diagram which is isomorphic with the commutative
triangle of the category theory. Thus, to me, communication is a category:
f g
A ------> B -------> C
| ^
| |
|______________|
h
Figure 1. A diagrammatic representation of semiosis, sign process, or
communication. The names of the nodes and edges can vary depending on the
communication system under consideration, which can be chemical reaction
systems, gene expression mechanisms, human communication using symbols,
computer systems using electrical signals. If applied to the Shannon
communication system, A = source, B = signals, C = receiver, f = encoding, g =
decoding, and h = information transfer/flow. When applied to human symbolic
communicatioin, A = object, B = sign, C = interpretant, f = sign production, g
= interpretation, and h = information flow.
One usefulness of Figure 1 is its ability to distinguish between "interactions"
(see Steps f and g) and "communication" (see Steps f, g and h); the former is
dyadic and the latter triadic.
All the best.
Sung
________________________________
From: Fis <fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es> on behalf of Loet Leydesdorff
<l...@leydesdorff.net>
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 8:06 AM
To: Pedro C. Marijuan; fis
Subject: Re: [Fis] some notes
Dear Pedro and colleagues,
2. Eigenvectors of communication. Taking the motif from Loet, and continuing
with the above, could we say that the life cycle itself establishes the
eigenvectors of communication? It is intriguing that maintenance, persistence,
self-propagation are the essential motives of communication for whatever life
entities (from bacteria to ourselves). With the complexity increase there
appear new, more sophisticated directions, but the basic ones probably remain
intact. What could be these essential directions of communication?
I am not so convinced that there is an a priori relation between life and
communication. Communication is not alive. Non-living systems (e.g., computers,
robots) also communicate. Perhaps, it matters for the communication whether the
communicators are living systems; but this needs to be specified.
Communication studies is not biology. Perhaps, there is a specific biological
communication as Maturana claims: when molecules are exchanged, one can expect
life. Can one have life without communication? It seems to me that one can have
communication without life. Communication would then be the broader category
and life a special case.
Best,
Loet
3. About logics in the pre-science, Joseph is quite right demanding that
discussion to accompany principles or basic problems. Actually principles,
rules, theories, etc. are interconnected or should be by a logic (or several
logics?) in order to give validity and coherence to the different combinations
of elements. For instance, in the biomolecular realm there is a fascinating
interplay of activation and inhibition among the participating molecular
partners (enzymes and proteins) as active elements. I am not aware that
classical ideas from Jacob (La Logique du vivant) have been sufficiently
continued; it is not about Crick's Central Dogma but about the logic of
pathways, circuits, modules, etc. Probably both Torday and Ji have their own
ideas about that-- I would be curious to hear from them.
4. I loved Michel's response to Arturo's challenge. I think that the two
"zeros" I mentioned days ago (the unsolved themes around the cycle and around
the observer) imply both multidisciplinary thinking and philosophical
speculation...
Best wishes--Pedro
-------------------------------------------------
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 0
50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Tfno. +34 976 71 3526 (& 6818)
pcmarijuan.i...@aragon.es<mailto:pcmarijuan.i...@aragon.es>
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