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Informatics

L&FP, 54: J C Wright on the haunting “Morlockery” of many today, in the neo-gnostic, nihilistic “Technoplutocracy”

Mr Wright, a noted Science Fiction/Fantasy writer [and married to another, L Jagi Lampwriter Wright] observes a pattern of our times: Technoplutocracy is my term for our current intellectual elite, a combination of traditionally leftwing and rightwing elements [–> outdated reference], dominating our public institutions, political and legal and scholarly, corporate culture, international finance, but most particularly in our mass media and social media. Not all Morlocks are technoplutocratic elites, but all elites are Morlocks. “Morlock,” is a strange term, tracing to pioneer Sci Fi writer H G Wells in Time Machine. As Wright describes, “[i]n Wells, the Morlock is a cannibal troglodyte who treats other human descendants [the “fair, childlike Eloi”] as cattle [–> as in, food].” So, he Read More ›

At Mind Matters News: Does Mt Rushmore contain no more information than Mt Fuji?

As Jeffrey Shallit claims? That is, does intelligent intervention increase information? Is that intervention detectable by science methods? Read More ›

At Mind Matters News: GWT: A leading consciousness theory depends on information theory

If information flow in the brain is “largely unconstrained” by anatomical wiring, it’s easy to understand why we sense that we have “minds” apart from our brains. Read More ›

An example of interwoven protein code (HT, Wiki!)

Here, in human mitochondrial DNA — note the BLUE code start and the RED code stop; all HT to Wiki publishing against known ideological interest: Complex interwoven code is of course doubly functionally specific, so it is exponentially harder to account for, other than by exceedingly sophisticated and creative intelligently directed configuration. Indeed, when I had to write machine code, I thanked my lucky stars 2114’s and 2716’s were by then affordable RAM and EPROM chips, and proceeded from there. (BTW, a neighbour who was an engineer in an earlier era spoke of how people flew across North America just to see 1 MB of live RAM, in a video memory, a million dollar cost in itself.) We know v Read More ›

New paper at Biocomplexity by Daniel Andrés Díaz-Pachón and Robert J. Marks II

Paper's conclusion: We have proposed extension of active information for domains other than those confined to a finite interval. Maximum entropy (maxent) is defined on domains other than a finite interval. Read More ›

Winston Ewert on his dependency graph model of the relationship of life forms

Programmer Winston Ewert has developed a dependency graph, as an alternative to the Darwinian “tree of life,” to understand relationships among life forms. Here he discusses it with Jonathan McLatchie: Dr. Winston Ewert … proposes an alternative model to common descent to explain the hierarchical classification of life. Based on his paper published in Bio-Complexity, available here. Note: Winston Ewert, who works at the Evolutionary Informatics Lab, is an author of Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics See also: Evolutionary informatics: A simplified explanation of Winston Ewert’s dependency graph and New “fixed” bacterial Tree of Life looks like a cityscape seen from below

Evolutionary informatics: A simplified explanation of Winston Ewert’s dependency graph

From Cornelius Hunter at Evolution News and Science Today: A recent paper in the journal BIO-Complexity, authored by Winston Ewert, uses a dependency graph approach to model the relationships between the species. This idea is inspired by computer science which makes great use of dependency graphs for packaging of software and optimization of software architecture. Complicated software applications typically use a wealth of lower level software routines. These routines have been developed, tested, and stored in modules for use by higher level applications. When this happens the application inherits the lower-level software and has a dependency on those modules. … What Ewert has developed is a model to explain the pattern of similarities in different organisms that mimics how computer Read More ›

On the absurdity of “naturalism” (and the equal absurdity of its censorship of science and education)

A little while ago, UD’s News noted on the tenth anniversary of Louisiana’s science education law, and an exchange has developed on the significance of “methodological” and “philosophical” “naturalism” in science, education — and by implication society. A crucial issue is the July 2000 statement of the US National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) on science education and how it must be confined to naturalistic concepts and explanations. For cause, I have long marked up that statement as follows: >>PREAMBLE: All those involved with science teaching and learning should have a common, accurate view of the nature of science. Science is characterized by the systematic gathering of information through various forms of direct and indirect observations and the testing of this Read More ›

AI, state/configuration space search and the ID search challenge

In his well-known work, No Free Lunch, p. 11, ID Researcher William A Dembski has illustrated the search challenge concept in terms of an arrow hitting a target amidst a reference class of possibilities. In so doing, he reaches back to the statistical mechanical and mathematical concept of a phase space “cut down” to address configurations only (leaving out momentum), aka state space.  He then goes on to speak in terms of probabilities, observing: >>. . . in determining whether an event is sufficiently improbable or complex to implicate design, the relevant probability is not that of the event [= E] itself. In the archery example, that probability corresponds to the size of the arrowhead point in relation to the Read More ›

AI, intelligent agency and the intersection with ID

This is a theme of increasing significance for the ID debate, but also it has overtones for an era where AI technologies may be driving the next economic long wave. Which is of instant, global importance, hence the Perez idealised Long wave illustration: However, this is not about economics (save, as a context for major trends) but about AI, Intelligent Agents as conceived under AI and the intersection with ID. Intelligent Design. Where, it is important to recognise that the concept of intelligence and of agency we will increasingly encounter will be shaped by the dogmas of what is often termed, Strong AI. Techopedia summarises: >>Strong artificial intelligence (strong AI) is an artificial intelligence construct that has mental capabilities and Read More ›

AI, Memristors and the future (could “conscious” machines lie ahead?)

AI — artificial intelligence — is emerging as a future-driver. For example, we have been hearing of driver-less cars, and now we have helmsman-less barges: As The Guardian reports: >>The world’s first fully electric, emission-free and potentially crewless container barges are to operate from the ports of Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam from this summer. The vessels, designed to fit beneath bridges as they transport their goods around the inland waterways of Belgium and the Netherlands, are expected to vastly reduce the use of diesel-powered trucks for moving freight. Dubbed the “Tesla of the canals”, their electric motors will be driven by 20-foot batteries, charged on shore by the carbon-free energy provider Eneco. The barges are designed to operate without any Read More ›

Darwinism vs. mathematics in a post-modern world

Further to “Evolutionary informatics has come a long way since a Baylor dean tried to shut down the lab,” Philip Cunningham writes to introduce a new vid, Darwinian Evolution vs. Mathematics, documentary support here. Question: Will post-modernism give Darwinism an extra lease on life, by making clear that mathematics is a tool of oppression anyway? If people feel that Darwinian evolution is culturally right, isn’t that better than good mathematical results? See also: Evolutionary informatics has come a long way since a Baylor dean tried to shut down the lab On Basener and Sanford’s paper falsifying Fisher’s Darwinism theorem: It will be no small thing to make reality matter again and Can science survive long in a post-modern world? It’s Read More ›

Evolutionary informatics has come a long way since a Baylor dean tried to shut down the lab

On the theory that it might reflect badly on Darwin (2007). The lab moved off campus and continued. Robert Marks II writes to offer updates on the Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics book (Robert J. Marks, William A. Dembski and Winston Ewert, 2017) Podcast: (AI) Robert Crowther “Why Artificial Intelligence Will Never Replace Humanity,” Interview with Robert J Marks, ID the Future, December 18, 2017. Podcast: (AI) Robert Crowther “The Dangers, Limits and Promise of Artificial Intelligence.” Interview with Robert J Marks, ID the Future, January 8, 2018. Book’s site: Evolutionary informatics weds the natural, engineering, and mathematical sciences. Evolutionary informatics studies how evolving systems incorporate, transform, and export information. The Evolutionary Informatics Laboratory explores the conceptual foundations, mathematical development, and Read More ›

Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics: Media to get you started

Baylor computer scientist Robert Marks II checks in with news about the new book Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics: – (AI-CA) “The Mind Renewed” has published the transcript of the “Dr. Robert J. Marks II : Evolutionary Informatics” interview. Audio. YouTube. – (AI) Essay: “Why You Shouldn’t Worry About A.I. Taking Over the World” by R.J. Marks II at The Stream. – (AI) ID the Future Podcast: Part 1: Math, Computers and Evolution: Robert Marks on Searches and Artificial Intelligence – (AI) ID the Future Podcast: Part 2: Math, Computers and Evolution: Robert Marks on Searches and Artificial Intelligence – (AI) Podcast: Jerry Newcomb’s Vocal Point (James Kennedy Ministry) – (CA-AI) Audio: “Dr. Robert Marks, Origins, Evolution and Information” on God Read More ›