Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Can we test for information, as the basis of the universe, as opposed to matter or energy?

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

info, information, tips, icon, support From science writer Philip Perry at BigThink:

If the nature of reality is in fact reducible to information itself, that implies a conscious mind on the receiving end, to interpret and comprehend it. Wheeler himself believed in a participatory universe, where consciousness holds a central role. Some scientists argue that the cosmos seems to have specific properties which allow it to create and sustain life. Perhaps what it desires most is an audience captivated in awe as it whirls in prodigious splendor.

Modern physics has hit a wall in a number of areas. Some proponents of information theory believe embracing it may help us to say, sew up the rift between general relativity and quantum mechanics. Or perhaps it’ll aid in detecting and comprehending dark matter and dark energy, which combined are thought to make up 95% of the known universe. As it stands, we have no idea what they are. Ironically, some hard data is required in order to elevate information theory. Until then, it remains theoretical.More.

Hello? Hello? Oh great, we have a connection again, Perry. Guess the tech finally succeeded in cleaning the mouse nests out of your switchbox. Happens here too.

Um, yeah, the live part of the universe is mainly information and only incidentally matter and energy. It is amazing the number and variety of types of matter and energy that life can use.

And yes, we can test for information. But few Big Thinkers want to do it. They make good off Big Thinking –  the greatest tap dance ever.

See also: Is origin of life a fluke, physics… or just not a science question at present?

Data basic: An introduction to information theory

and

Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics

Comments
...nature of reality is in fact reducible to information itself... "...The belief that a physical, Newtonian material universe (matter) that was at the very heart of scientific knowing was dropped, and the realization that matter is nothing but an illusion replaced it. Scientists began to recognize that everything in the Universe is made out of energy. "As you focused in closer and closer on the structure of the atom, you would see nothing, you would observe a physical void. The atom has no physical structure, we have no physical structure, physical things really don’t have any physical structure! Atoms are made out of invisible energy, not tangible matter." “If quantum mechanics hasn’t profoundly shocked you, you haven’t understood it yet. Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.” – Niels Bohr "The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” Nikola TeslaJ-Mac
August 29, 2017
August
08
Aug
29
29
2017
08:26 PM
8
08
26
PM
PDT
Presentation on the topic of information https://www.youtube.com/embed/aHACJizlDCw?list=PLRWQmFgYxMP5cEh8JQoER2YFaTyaWLz2q https://www.youtube.com/embed/8CHO53bprTg?list=PLRWQmFgYxMP5cEh8JQoER2YFaTyaWLz2q https://www.youtube.com/embed/o77SNQiICPE?list=PLRWQmFgYxMP5cEh8JQoER2YFaTyaWLz2q https://www.youtube.com/embed/-SHWtvZP-Ko?list=PLRWQmFgYxMP5cEh8JQoER2YFaTyaWLz2qDionisio
August 29, 2017
August
08
Aug
29
29
2017
05:35 PM
5
05
35
PM
PDT
A relatively old (11+ years) book by a German author that deals with this subject: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/804653.In_the_Beginning_Was_InformationDionisio
August 29, 2017
August
08
Aug
29
29
2017
12:41 PM
12
12
41
PM
PDT

Leave a Reply