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abstract: |
This paper discusses the benefits of describing the world as information, especially in the study of the evolution of life and cognition. Traditional studies encounter problems because it is difficult to describe life and cognition in terms of matter and energy, since their laws are valid only at the physical scale. However, if matter and energy, as well as life and cognition, are described in terms of information, evolution can be described consistently as information becoming more complex.
The paper presents five tentative laws of information, valid at multiple scales, which are generalizations of Darwinian, cybernetic, thermodynamic, and complexity principles. These are further used to discuss the notions of life and cognition and their evolution.
altloc:
- http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.0304
chapter: ~
commentary: ~
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confdates: 'October 28-November 2, 2007'
conference: International Conference on Complex Systems 2007
confloc: 'Boston, MA, USA'
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creators_id: []
creators_name:
- family: Gershenson
given: Carlos
honourific: Dr
lineage: ''
date: 2007
date_type: published
datestamp: 2007-08-30
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eprintid: 5689
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full_text_status: public
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keywords: 'information, evolution, matter, energy, life, cognition'
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:56:57
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referencetext: |+
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relation_type: []
relation_uri: []
reportno: ~
rev_number: 13
series: ~
source: ~
status_changed: 2007-09-18 02:52:11
subjects:
- comp-sci-complex-theory
- bio-evo
- phil-epist
succeeds: 5486
suggestions: This is a thoroughly revised and improved version after substantial feedback
sword_depositor: ~
sword_slug: ~
thesistype: ~
title: The World as Evolving Information
type: confpaper
userid: 3228
volume: ~