I ask this question in order to make a definitive difference between Information and Data.
Is Information a living or dead term?
Hint: this question gives a note of newest Information scientific terms. In common language of course every object (dead or live) is able to "carry" (give) Information. But this term "Information" ought to be defined in a scientific way - and separated from the term "Data" ...
Hmm. This may be a good question to geologists. They will agree that macro and micro geological structures incorporate information about their past history. In this case, data is transformed into information based on the previous knowledge we accumulated. Same thing with DNA sequences. Hence, it seems like information is data interpreted. Makes sense?
My opinion is that a dead physical object contains a lot of information but the information content cannot be appreciated until there is an energetic expression of that information as a spacetime pattern that is perceived by an observer . A representation of that information can be in mathematical or verbal form but such representation is not the information itself. The information itself is the unexpressed pattern within the material object.
David,
in my understanding, you go in your last sentence in wrong direction in case of definition of Information. As you defined it it's called Data. Information is that what an observer makes out of the Data (all physical properties) of an object. This definition is simple but makes Information unified definable in all sciences. Information is living, Data of a dead object is dead too. Living Data are existing too: but only if the object is living (f. i. neurons, brain movements, knowledge or habit). Then Information needs the consciousness of an observer (of his own or another person). Genuine Information in latest definition necessarily needs a Human Being with his senses, consciousness, intelligence and being able to respond or react to got Information. Using the word Information includes the reaction or any involvement of a Human Being.
Maybe we should back up a bit. A physical object can be "dead" from a biological point of view but not from a physics point of view. Physics sees any mass as energetically alive, a form of trapped energy by E=mc^2. Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that you see information as expressed data. I see the data itself as information, recognizable as such only after it is energetically expressed.
Plato introduced a way to think about the distinction between information and its expression centuries ago in his "Analogy of a Sphere.". He maintained that the "idea of a sphere" is more real than the physical sphere because the physical sphere is formed from it and the idea will last far longer than the physical sphere, which eventually rusts away. I believe that information and organized thoughts (ideas) are the same.
Because information is non-physical does not mean it is mystical or non-factual. Quite the contrary. A point-mass, for example, is non-dimensional but has been used to solve problems in physics since the time of Newton. Thought (information) is formative to energy and matter and can be represented verbally or mathematically. Information seems to underlie the physicality of the universe. This is not a new idea in physics.
David ,
you write: "I see the data itself as information, recognizable as such only after it is energetically expressed." and "Thought (information) is formative to energy and matter and can be represented verbally or mathematically."
Information is anything the Human Being is interested and giving out of his whole body.
The word Information was used first time by Romans so equal Old Greek philosophically terms are manifold.
If you are really interested look at my publication: http://www.plbg.at/Werke/english/Orientation%20of%20IT%20towards%20Human%20Being%20-%20the%20Paradigm%20(2016).pdf
That are latest results in Informationscience which for herself is renewed actually.
I looked over your reference. It is obvious to me that we are using the term information differently. Mine is from the point of view of physics and is quite different from yours. I applaud your ideas and efforts but they are not compatible with mine. Good fortunes in your future efforts!
David,
Data and Information can`t be the same. You follow exactly SHANNONs Theory - thats usual in circles of Physics,
It`s not definitly wrong - SHANNON only derfined his term for Information too narrow. That was the reason even to define a new scienmce in 1968 - called Information Science.
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