HOME  INTERVIEWS  RESOURCES  NEWS  ABOUT

View by:  Subject  Theme  Question  Term  Person  Event

What is Information, Exactly?

In recent history there has been an interesting trend toward the ‘reification of information’ - information presented as a third fundamental reality:

  • Matter
  • Energy
  • and the newcomer: Information.

Some talk about information being exchangeable with matter and energy, much as matter and energy are related in Einstein’s famous E=mc2.

While it’s certainly true that the concept of information is central to quantum mechanics and other established theories in physics and mathematics (and that quantum mechanics, in turn, is intimately related to microelectronic circuit design), does it deserve this much emphasis? A few go so far as to see computers as somehow special (or even ‘holy’) since they deal exclusively with this fundamental aspect of reality that we call information. Similarly cyberspace - the internet - is a holy space where we might expect to find God, because it deals in the currency of pure information.

I find this quite unconvincing. Why the confusion? I believe the main source is the varied ways in which we use the word information.

Here are a couple of rough definitions:

A] Information: Human-consciousness-level symbols needing a context to give them meaning. For example, the price of an airline ticket or a book.

B] Information: the degree of order or complexity of a system.

Definition B] is one that figures in discussions about mathematics, quantum mechanics, signal to noise ratios in data-sets etc.

These are very different. In fact it’s possible to represent information (type A) in ways that are more or less complex,Using compression, for example. i.e. in ways with more or less information (type B)!

My point is that information as defined in A] (e.g. a $200 airline tickets to San Jose from Seattle) does not belong in discussions about fundamental aspects of reality.

Therefore, inasmuch as cyber-technologies and the Internet deal with airline tickets or books, this is information as defined in A] and not B]. So, it does not follow that the Internet is necessarily accessing a fundamental level of reality even though it deals with information.

Email link | Printer-friendly | Feedback | Contributed by: Adrian Wyard

Topic Sets Available

AAAS Report on Stem-Cells

AstroTheology: Religious Reflections on Extraterrestrial Life Forms

Agency: Human, Robotic and Divine
Becoming Human: Brain, Mind, Emergence
Big Bang Cosmology and Theology (GHC)
Cosmic Questions Interviews

Cosmos and Creator
Creativity, Spirituality and Computing Technologies
CTNS Content Home
Darwin: A Friend to Religion?
Demystifying Information Technology
Divine Action (GHC)
Dreams and Dreaming: Neuroscientific and Religious Visions'
E. Coli at the No Free Lunchroom
Engaging Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence: An Adventure in Astro-Ethics
Evangelical Atheism: a response to Richard Dawkins
Ecology and Christian Theology
Evolution: What Should We Teach Our Children in Our Schools?
Evolution and Providence
Evolution and Creation Survey
Evolution and Theology (GHC)
Evolution, Creation, and Semiotics

The Expelled Controversy
Faith and Reason: An Introduction
Faith in the Future: Religion, Aging, and Healthcare in the 21st Century

Francisco Ayala on Evolution

From Christian Passions to Scientific Emotions
Genetic Engineering and Food

Genetics and Ethics
Genetic Technologies - the Radical Revision of Human Existence and the Natural World

Genomics, Nanotechnology and Robotics
Getting Mind out of Meat
God and Creation: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Big Bang Cosmology
God, Humanity and the Cosmos: A Textbook in Science and Religion
God the Spirit - and Natural Science
Historical Examples of the Science and Religion Debate (GHC)
History of Creationism
Intelligent Design Coming Clean

Issues for the Millennium: Cloning and Genetic Technologies
Jean Vanier of L'Arche
Nano-Technology and Nano-ethics
Natural Science and Christian Theology - A Select Bibliography
Neuroscience and the Soul
Outlines of the Science and Religion Debate (GHC)

Perspectives on Evolution

Physics and Theology
Quantum Mechanics and Theology (GHC)
Questions that Shape Our Future
Reductionism (GHC)
Reintroducing Teleology Into Science
Science and Suffering

Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action (CTNS/Vatican Series)

Space Exploration and Positive Stewardship

Stem-Cell Debate: Ethical Questions
Stem-Cell Ethics: A Theological Brief

Stem-Cell Questions
Theistic Evolution: A Christian Alternative to Atheism, Creationism, and Intelligent Design...
Theology and Science: Current Issues and Future Directions
Unscientific America: How science illiteracy threatens our future
Will ET End Religion?

Current Stats: topics: >2600, links: >300,000, video: 200 hours.