Seeking the foundations of cognition in bacteria: From Schrödinger's negative entropy to latent information

Jacob, Eshel Ben; Shapira, Yoash; Tauber, Alfred I.

doi:10.1016/j.physa.2005.05.096

Cited by 87 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Ben Jacob and colleagues have argued that the Schrödinger definition of life does not apply for bacteria because it misses the fundamental role of emergent internal information that feeds on latent information in the environment [11,96]. This analysis corresponds to my argument of the evolution of functions.…”

Section: Reconstructing Semiosis As Proper Functioningmentioning

confidence: 94%

Entropy, Function and Evolution: Naturalizing Peircian Semiosis

Herrmann‐Pillath

2010

Entropy

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Abstract:In the biosemiotic literature there is a tension between the naturalistic reference to biological processes and the category of 'meaning' which is central in the concept of semiosis. A crucial term bridging the two dimensions is 'information'. I argue that the tension can be resolved if we reconsider the relation between information and entropy and downgrade the conceptual centrality of Shannon information in the standard approach to entropy and information. Entropy comes into full play if semiosis is seen as a physical process involving causal interactions between physical systems with functions. Functions emerge from evolutionary processes, as conceived in recent philosophical contributions to teleosemantics. In this context, causal interactions can be interpreted in a dual mode, namely as standard causation and as an observation. Thus, a function appears to be the interpretant in the Peircian triadic notion of the sign. Recognizing this duality, the Gibbs/Jaynes notion of entropy is added to the picture, which shares an essential conceptual feature with the notion of function: Both concepts are part of a physicalist ontology, but are observer relative at the same time. Thus, it is possible to give an account of semiosis within the entropy framework without limiting the notion of entropy to the Shannon measure, but taking full account of the thermodynamic definition. A central feature of this approach is the conceptual linkage between the evolution of functions and maximum entropy production. I show how we can conceive of the semiosphere as a fundamental physical phenomenon. Following an early contribution by Hayek, in conclusion I argue that the category of 'meaning' supervenes on nested functions in semiosis, and has a function itself, namely to enable functional self-reference, which otherwise mainfests functional break-down because of standard set-theoretic paradoxes. OPEN ACCESSEntropy 2010, 12 198 Keywords: information; functions; Jaynes' approach to entropy; observer relativity; maximum entropy production; evolution of functions; Peirce's concept of semiosis; semiosphere Even at the purely phenomenological level, entropy is an anthropomorphic concept. E.T. Jaynes

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Section: Reconstructing Semiosis As Proper Functioningmentioning

confidence: 94%

Entropy, Function and Evolution: Naturalizing Peircian Semiosis

Herrmann‐Pillath

2010

Entropy

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“…For example, the shape of a predator is a sign of the predator, and being a predator is not simply a property of the animal but only in the relation with another animal. This relation involves signs, but we would not say that this is language in the strict sense (for more on this, see Ben Jacob et al 2006). Searle (1995: 121) has an extensive differentiation between different kinds of facts that deals with this point, but we cannot delve into the details here.…”

Section: Searle's Theory Of Institutionsmentioning

confidence: 95%

A neurolinguistic approach to performativity in economics

Herrmann‐Pillath

2010

Journal of Economic Methodology

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What makes institutions 'real'? One central notion has been emerging recently in sociology, which is 'performativity', a term borrowed from the philosophy of language. I propose a neurolinguistic approach to performativity that is based on John Searle's theory of institutions, especially his concept of a 'status function' and his explanation of rule-following as a neurophysiological disposition. Positing a status function is a performative act. I proceed in two steps to establish the neurolinguistic framework. First, I apply the concept of 'conceptual blending' borrowed from cognitive science on the status function, and give empirical applications from the research on performativity in financial markets. Second, I sketch the underlying neuroscience framework following the neural theory of metaphor, which I illustrate empirically with examples from behavioral finance and neuroeconomics.performativity, Searle's theory of institutions, conceptual blending, emergence of markets, neural theory of metaphor, neuroeconomics,

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“…It is important to point out that the present thermodynamic description is valid at the cellular [23] or mesoscopic [24,25] level, as well as at the macroscopic level. Figure 1 shows the differences in scale of both levels in a biological system.…”

Section: Nature Of Living Matter As a Thermodynamic Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Significant progresses have occurred in the analysis of biological entities of small dimensions, as is the case of DNA [82][83][84][85] and other cell components, down to the description of the cell itself [23,86].…”

Section: Information Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to this hypothesis it is the capacity to process energy (escalation), which has been a requirement given the critical situations that some species have faced [93]. Rigorously speaking, the negentropy principle is not contradicted, since the processing of energy and its conversion to work, as well as the capacity to discard part of the energy, is the way to conceive a biotic machine [23] that can operate under conditions of irreversibility, thus satisfying this principle.…”

Section: Energy Intensiveness Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermodynamic Formulation of Living Systems and Their Evolution

Castillo¹,

Vera-Cruz²

2011

JMP

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The purpose of this review article is to present some of the recent contributions that show the use of thermodynamics to describe biological systems and their evolution, illustrating the agreement that this theory presents with the field of evolution. Organic systems are described as thermodynamic systems where entropy is produced by the irreversible processes, considering as an established fact that this entropy is eliminated through their frontiers to preserve life. The necessary and sufficient conditions to describe the evolution of life in the negentropy principle are established. Underlining the fact that the necessary condition requires formulation, which is founded on the principle of minimum entropy production for open systems operating near or far from equilibrium, other formulations are mentioned, particularly the information theory, the energy intensiveness hypothesis and the theory of open systems far from equilibrium. Finally suggesting the possibility of considering the lineal formulation as a viable alternative; that is, given the internal constrictions under which a biological system operates, it is possible that the validity of its application is broader than it has been suggested.

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Seeking the foundations of cognition in bacteria: From Schrödinger's negative entropy to latent information

Cited by 87 publications

References 52 publications

Entropy, Function and Evolution: Naturalizing Peircian Semiosis

Entropy, Function and Evolution: Naturalizing Peircian Semiosis

A neurolinguistic approach to performativity in economics

Thermodynamic Formulation of Living Systems and Their Evolution

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