[ox-en] On Bits and Pieces * How Information and Matter Are Similar
- From: Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de>
- Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:36:39 +0100
Hi list!
I just submitted to the SIGINT 2010. It was a nice opportunity to
write something about the similarities of matter and information if
the perspective is society.
Please find below a preliminary set of slides. As always comments,
ideas and improvements are welcome.
A copy which is better readable can be found at
http://en.wiki.oekonux.org/StefanMerten/Talks/BitsAndPieces#slides
Grüße
Stefan
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On Bits and Pieces
==================
--------------------------------------
How Information and Matter Are Similar
--------------------------------------
From concepts...
================
Matter as a concept
-------------------
Matter is a general term for the substance of which *physical
objects* are made. [...]
-- `Wikipedia on matter`_ (emphasis by me)
.. _Wikipedia on matter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter
* As part of physics matter is a part of nature
* In fact matter is the basis of *everything*
Information as a concept
------------------------
[...] In its most restricted technical meaning information is an
ordered sequence of *symbols*. [...]
-- `Wikipedia on information`_ (emphasis by me)
.. _Wikipedia on information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information
* The concept of symbols makes sense only for *living beings*
* A rock doesn't send or recognize symbols
* But even the simplest life forms process information from their
environment
Information and its substrate
-----------------------------
* Information is important...
* ...but still this is a *material world*
* Every symbol needs a *physical substrate* to exist
* A novel needs paper to be printed on
* A computer program needs some sort of memory to exist
* Even a thought needs a brain holding it
Structure as the common denominator
-----------------------------------
* Natural matter is mostly *uninteresting*
* Such as rocks, air, water
* Matter becomes interesting when it gets a *structure*
* Such as an apple, a table, a computer
* Symbols are matter where the *material aspect is secondary*
* The *structure* of the matter is primary
* Such as books, DVDs, bits in main memory
* You can burn a book but that is not what it is made for
* Physical substrate makes information a special form of matter
Production and structure
------------------------
* Question: How does structure come about?
* Answer: By a production process
* Production is literally the process where *structure is built*
* Material production *structures matter*
* Immaterial production structures symbols
* ...which means *structuring matter* to represent symbols
* This way to society!
...to society...
================
Production as the common denominator
------------------------------------
* If structure is the common denominator of matter and information
* If structure is built by production
* If production is the fundament of society
* Then *matter and information are the same* with respect to the
fundament of society
Production and rivalness
------------------------
* Rivalness: If I use a good you can't use it any more
* Usually: Distinction between rival and non-rival goods
* An *apple* is considered rival
* *Streets* are considered non-rival
* But what about a *traffic jam*?
* My claim: Rivalness is not a feature of the good
* Instead: *Rivalness* depends on the *availability*
* *Availability* is a result of the *production process*
Means of production
-------------------
* Some products are special
* They can be used to create other products
* Called means of production
* They are built to make production possible
* The availability of means of production is key for any production
* Without the means of production many products can not be produced
* Availability of means of production determines the production
process
* Production process determines the availability of products
...and into the future
======================
Information and production
--------------------------
* To use an information good I need to have the information good
* Having an information good means: having a physical substrate
structured according to the information
* I.e.: An information good must be produced to be used
Information production in the past
----------------------------------
* Hand and ink
* Slow, lots of skilled labor, no mass production, cheap means of
production
* Information goods were not available
* Printing press
* Fast, some skilled labor, mass production, expensive means of
production, centralized
* Information goods from some were available
* TV
* Fast, some skilled labor, mass production, expensive means of
production, centralized
* Information goods from some were available
Why information seems different
-------------------------------
* Digital copy
* Fast, labor of any kind, mass production, cheap means of
production, decentralized
* Information goods from everyone everywhere
* Today information is considered non-rival
* But this was not the case for long time in history
* Reason: the means of production of information were not available
* They are today by *global digital copy* (aka Internet)
Next steps
----------
* So far: The Internet and its offspring *peer production* enabled a
new perspective for the future
* A wider availability of means of productions for material products
may have a similar effect