Information in animate and inanimate nature. Information processes in wildlife, society, technology. Information processes in wildlife presentation
Is there information in inanimate nature, if you do not take into account the various techniques created by man? The answer to this question depends on the definition of the concept itself. The meaning of the term "information" has been repeatedly supplemented throughout the history of mankind. The definition influenced the development of scientific thought, the progress of technology and the experience accumulated over the centuries. Information in inanimate nature is possible if we consider this phenomenon from the point of view of general terminology.
One of the options for the definition of the concept
Information in the narrow sense is a message transmitted in the form of a signal from person to person, from person to automaton or from automaton to automaton, as well as in the plant and animal world from individual to individual. With this approach, its existence is possible only in living nature or in socio-technical systems. These include, among other things, such examples of information in inanimate nature in archeology, such as rock paintings, clay tablets, and so on. The carrier of information in this case is an object that clearly does not belong to living matter or technology, but without the help of the same person, the data would not have been recorded and stored.
Subjective approach
There is another way that is subjective in nature and arises only in the mind of a person when he endows the surrounding objects, events, and so on with some meaning. This idea has interesting logical implications. It turns out that if there are no people, there is no information, anywhere, including information in inanimate nature. Informatics in this version of the definition becomes the science of the subjective, but not the real world. However, let's not dig deep into this topic.
General definition
In philosophy, information is defined as an intangible form of movement. It is inherent in any object, since it has a certain meaning. Not far from this definition is the physical understanding of the term.
One of the basic concepts in the scientific picture of the world is energy. It is exchanged by all material objects, and constantly. A change in the initial state in one of them causes changes in the other. In physics, a similar process is considered as signal transmission. A signal, in fact, is also a message transmitted by one object and received by another. This is information. According to this definition, the answer to the question asked at the beginning of the article is unequivocally positive. Information in inanimate nature is a variety of signals transmitted from one object to another.
The second law of thermodynamics
A shorter and more precise definition: information is a measure of the orderliness of a system. Here it is worth recalling one of the According to the second law of thermodynamics, closed systems (these are those that do not interact in any way with the environment) always pass from an ordered state to a chaotic one.
For example, let's conduct a thought experiment: put gas in one half of a closed vessel. After a while, it will fill the entire provided volume, that is, it will cease to be ordered to the extent that it was. In this case, the information in the system will decrease, since it is a measure of order.
Information and entropy
It should be noted that in the modern sense, the Universe is not a closed system. It is characterized by processes of complication of the structure, accompanied by an increase in orderliness, and hence the amount of information. According to the Big Bang theory, this has been the case since the formation of the universe. Elementary particles appeared first, then molecules and larger compounds. Later, stars began to form. All these processes are characterized by the ordering of structural elements.
Forecasting the future of the Universe is closely related to these nuances. According to the second law of thermodynamics, heat death awaits it as a result of an increase in entropy, a value opposite to information. It can be defined as a measure of the disorder in the system. states that in closed systems the entropy always grows. However, modern knowledge cannot give an exact answer to the question of how applicable it is to the entire Universe.
Features of information processes in inanimate nature in a closed system
All examples of information in inanimate nature are united by common features. This is a one-stage process, the absence of a goal, the loss of quantity in the source with an increase in the receiver. Let's consider the named properties in more detail.
Information in inanimate nature is a measure of free energy. In other words, it characterizes the system's ability to do work. In the absence of external influence, every time chemical, electromagnetic, mechanical or other work is performed, an irreversible loss of free energy occurs, and with it information.
Features of information processes in inanimate nature in an open system
Under external influence, a certain system can receive information or a part of it, lost by another system. In this case, the first will have an amount of free energy sufficient to do the work. A good example is the magnetization of so-called ferromagnets (substances capable of being magnetized under certain conditions in the absence of an external magnetic field). They acquire similar properties as a result of a lightning strike or in the presence of other magnets. In this case, magnetization becomes a physical expression of the acquisition of a certain amount of information by the system. The work in this example will be carried out by a magnetic field. in this case they are single-stage and have no purpose. The latter property distinguishes them more than others from similar phenomena in living nature. Individual fragments, for example, of the magnetization process do not pursue any global goals. In the case of living matter, there is such a goal - this is the synthesis of a biochemical product, the transfer of hereditary material, and so on.
The law of nonincreasing information
Another feature in inanimate nature is that an increase in information in the receiver is always associated with its loss in the source. That is, in a system without external influence, the amount of information never increases. This position is a consequence of the law of non-decreasing entropy.
It should be noted that some scientists consider information and entropy as identical concepts with the opposite sign. The first is a measure of the orderliness of the system, and the second is the chaos. From this point of view, information becomes negative entropy. However, not all researchers of the problem adhere to this opinion. In addition, one should distinguish between thermodynamic and informational entropy. They are part of different scientific knowledge (physics and information theory, respectively).
Information in the microworld
Studying the topic "Information in inanimate nature" in the 8th grade of the school. At this point, students are still little familiar with quantum theory in physics. However, they already know that material objects can be divided into macro- and microcosm. The latter is a level of matter where electrons, protons, neutrons and other particles exist. Here the laws of classical physics are most often inapplicable. Meanwhile, information also exists in the microworld.
We will not delve into quantum theory, but it is still worth noting a few points. In the microcosm, as such, entropy does not exist. However, even at this level, during the interaction of particles, there is a loss of free energy, the same one that is necessary for the performance of work by any system and the measure of which is information. If the free energy decreases, so does the information. That is, in the microworld, the law of nonincreasing information is also observed.
Living and inanimate nature
Any examples of information in computer science studied in the eighth grade and not related to technology are united by the lack of a purpose for the achievement of which information is stored, processed and transmitted. For living matter, everything is different. In the case of living organisms, there is a primary purpose and intermediates. As a result, the whole process of receiving, processing, transferring and storing information is necessary for the transfer of hereditary material to descendants. Intermediate goals are its preservation through a variety of biochemical and behavioral reactions, which include, for example, maintaining homeostasis and orientation behavior.
Examples of information in inanimate nature indicate the absence of such properties. Homeostasis, by the way, minimizes the consequences of the law of nonincreasing information, which leads to the destruction of the object. The presence or absence of the described goals is one of the main differences between animate and inanimate nature.
So, you can find a lot of examples on the topic "information in inanimate nature": pictures on the walls of ancient caves, the work of a computer, the growth of rock crystal crystals, and so on. However, if we do not take into account the information created by man (various images and the like) and technology, objects of inanimate nature are very different in the properties of information processes occurring in them. Let's list them again: one-stage, irreversibility, lack of purpose, the inevitable loss of information in the source when it is transmitted to the receiver. Information in inanimate nature is defined as a measure of the orderliness of the system. In a closed system, in the absence of external influence of one kind or another, the law of nonincreasing information is observed.
Information in inanimate nature In physics, which studies inanimate nature, information is a measure of the ordering of the system on the "chaos order" scale. One of the basic laws of classical physics states that closed systems, in which there is no exchange of matter and energy with the environment, tend over time to move from a less probable ordered state to the most probable chaotic state.
For example, if a gas is placed in one half of a closed vessel, then after a while, as a result of chaotic movement, the gas molecules will uniformly fill the entire vessel. There will be a transition from a less probable ordered state to a more probable chaotic state, and the information, which is a measure of the ordering of the system, in this case will decrease. Orderchaos
However, modern science has established that some of the laws of classical physics, which are valid for macro-objects, cannot be applied to the micro- and megaworld. According to modern scientific concepts, our Universe is a dynamically developing system in which processes of structure complication are constantly taking place.
Thus, on the one hand, in inanimate nature in closed systems, processes go from order to chaos (information in them decreases). On the other hand, in the process of the evolution of the Universe, objects with an increasingly complex structure appear in the micro- and megaworld and, therefore, information, which is a measure of the ordering of the system's elements, increases.
According to the Big Bang theory, the universe was formed about 15 billion years ago as a result of an explosion of "primary matter". In the first moments, matter actually existed in the form of energy, and then, within a fraction of a second, matter began to form in the form of elementary particles (electrons, protons, neutrons, etc.).
In the next million years, the main events developed in the microcosm. Atoms were formed from the elementary particles scattering in all directions, that is, systems with a more complex structure arose from chaos. First, the atoms of the lightest chemical elements (hydrogen and helium) arose, and then the heavier elements.
In the megaworld, over the next billion years, complex structures of the galaxy were formed from the chaos of giant clouds of dust and gas under the action of gravitational forces. Our solar system, which includes the planet Earth, was formed about 5 billion years ago and, together with hundreds of millions of other stars, forms our Milky Way galaxy.
Information in physics Information (anti-entropy) is a measure of the orderliness and complexity of a system. As the complexity of the system increases, the amount of entropy decreases and the amount of information increases. The process of increasing information is characteristic of open, self-developing systems of living nature that exchange matter and energy with the environment.
Information in Living Nature About 3.5 billion years ago, life began on Earth. Since then, there has been self-development, the evolution of living nature, that is, an increase in the complexity and diversity of living organisms. Living systems (unicellular, plants and animals) are open systems, since they consume matter and energy from the environment and throw waste products into it also in the form of matter and energy.
Living systems in the process of development are capable of increasing the complexity of their structure, i.e., increasing information understood as a measure of the ordering of the system's elements. Thus, plants in the process of photosynthesis consume the energy of solar radiation and build complex organic molecules from "simple" inorganic molecules.
Animals are picking up the baton of increasing complexity in living systems, eating plants and using plant organic molecules as building blocks to create even more complex molecules. Biologists figuratively say that "living things feed on information," creating, accumulating and actively using information.
Information signals. Normal functioning of living organisms is impossible without obtaining and using information about the environment. The expedient behavior of living organisms is based on the receipt of information signals. Information signals can be of different physical or chemical nature. These are sound, light, smell, etc.
The survival of animal populations is largely based on the exchange of information signals between members of the same population. The information signal can be expressed in various forms: postures, sounds, smells, and even flashes of light (fireflies and some deep-sea fish exchange them).
Genetic information. One of the main functions of living systems is reproduction, that is, the creation of organisms of a given species. Reproduction of their own kind is ensured by the presence of genetic information in each cell of the body, which is inherited.
Genetic information is a set of genes, each of which is "responsible" for certain features of the structure and functioning of the body. At the same time, "children" are not exact copies of their parents, since each organism has a unique set of genes that determine differences in structure and functionality.
Resources used Ugrinovich N.D. Informatics and information technology.
1. Information processes. 2. Information processes in nature. 3. Man as an information processor. Perception, memorization and processing of information by a person, limits of sensitivity and resolution of the sense organs, logarithmic scales of perception. 4. Information processes in technical devices. The main questions of the topic:
Information process Information does not exist by itself. It manifests itself in information processes. Information does not exist on its own. It manifests itself in information processes. A process is a sequential change in the states of an object as a result of the actions performed. A process is a sequential change in the states of an object as a result of the actions performed.
Information process Processes whose purpose is to find, transfer, save or change information are called information processes Processes whose purpose is to find, transfer, save or change information are called information processes A A carrier B B
Genetic information In many ways determines the structure and development of living organisms and is inherited. Genetic information is stored in the structure of DNA molecules. DNA molecules are made up of four different constituents (nucleotides) that form the genetic alphabet. It largely determines the structure and development of living organisms and is inherited. Genetic information is stored in the structure of DNA molecules. DNA molecules are made up of four different constituents (nucleotides) that form the genetic alphabet.
QUESTION 3. Man as an information processor. Perception, memorization and processing of information by a person, limits of sensitivity and resolution of the sense organs, logarithmic scales of perception. Man as an information processor. Perception, memorization and processing of information by a person, limits of sensitivity and resolution of the sense organs, logarithmic scales of perception.
A person receives information about the outside world with the help of his senses. A person receives information about the outside world with the help of his senses. about 90% of the information a person receives with the help of the organs of vision (visual), about 90% of the information a person receives with the help of the organs of vision (visual), about 9% - with the help of the organs of hearing (auditory), about 9% - with the help of the organs of hearing (auditory) and only 1% with the help of the rest of the senses (smell, taste, touch). and only 1% with the help of the rest of the senses (smell, taste, touch). It should be noted that the human sense organs are called analyzers, since it is through these organs that information enters the brain. But, for example, for a fox, a dog and many other animals, the main information is that which comes through the nose. They have a well-developed sense of smell. For bats, the main information is sound, they perceive it with their large, sensitive ears.
Weber-Fechner law: sensation changes in proportion to the logarithm of the stimulus. Human senses (at least sight and hearing) have one logarithmic scale of sensitivity. This follows from the fact that the senses perceive changes in the signal (light or acoustic) in proportion to the current signal level. In rest, silence or darkness, we can distinguish the slightest rustle or a beam of light in several photons. But at the same time, in the light or in a noisy room, the sensitivity of the senses drops sharply. This can be easily expressed mathematically: dA = dx / x, where A is our susceptibility to signal x Hence A = ln (x) (proportionality coefficient omitted).
The sound volume level is usually measured in decibels (dB). The sensitivity of the human ear corresponds to a logarithmic scale, so a decibel is defined in such a way that an increase in sound by ten decibels corresponds to a tenfold increase in sound energy, and the sound becomes twice as loud by ear. All other things being equal, the human ear perceives sounds of different frequencies in different ways. One dB is the smallest audible change in sound volume (= 1 phon). Our hearing organs do not perceive sounds weaker than 0 dB, and the pain threshold is about 120 dB. The sound volume level is usually measured in decibels (dB). The sensitivity of the human ear corresponds to a logarithmic scale, so a decibel is defined in such a way that an increase in sound by ten decibels corresponds to a tenfold increase in sound energy, and the sound becomes twice as loud by ear. All other things being equal, the human ear perceives sounds of different frequencies in different ways. One dB is the smallest audible change in sound volume (= 1 phon). Our hearing organs do not perceive sounds weaker than 0 dB, and the pain threshold is about 120 dB.
INFORMATION EXCHANGE INFORMATION STORAGE INFORMATION PROCESSING contains two points: information reception and transmission. Reception (perception) of information by a person can occur both in a figurative and in a sign form. Transmission - most often in symbolic form in any language. carried out by a person either in memory (operational information) or on external media (external). Examples include saving information on a blackboard, in a notebook, on cassettes, etc. In a person's memory, information can be stored in any form, on external media - only in a sign. produced by a person "in the mind", or using various technical means (measuring instruments, calculators, computers, etc.) The figurative form is associated with the presence of five senses in a person: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. IMAGE FORM is the ideal form of human perception of objects and phenomena of the surrounding material world. SIGN FORM is closely related to the concept of language. LANGUAGE is a symbolic system of information presentation, it is a means of information exchange.
Signal is a way of transmitting information. Signal is a physical process that has informational value. It can be continuous or discrete. Signal is a physical process that has informational value. It can be continuous or discrete. An analog signal is a signal that is continuously changing in amplitude and in time (smoothly varying voltage, current or temperature). An analog signal is a signal that is continuously changing in amplitude and in time (smoothly varying voltage, current or temperature). A signal is called discrete if it can take only a finite number of values at a finite number of times (discrete - not continuous). A signal is called discrete if it can take only a finite number of values at a finite number of times (discrete - not continuous).
Signals carrying text and symbolic information are discrete. Analog signals are used, for example, in telephone communications, radio broadcasting, television. Discrete signals Traffic light signals Traffic light signals Signals carrying text information (letters, words, sentences, symbols) Signals carrying text information (letters, words, sentences, symbols) Telegraph Morse code Analog signals Vehicle speed change Vehicle speed change Air humidity Air humidity Voltage developed by the microphone when speaking in front of it, singing or playing musical instruments Voltage developed by the microphone when speaking in front of it, singing or playing musical instruments Cardiogram Cardiogram
Analog signals can be presented in discrete (digital) form. Let us explain this with an example. The figure shows the temperature curve drawn by a thermometer - recorder, on July 15 on the banks of the Tsna River. Considering the graph, we can conclude that the temperature during the day has changed from + 1200C to + 2400C. Is it possible to present this information, obtained in continuous (analog) form, as separate values, in a table, that is, in discrete form? Let's enter the temperature values at the end of each hour into the table. It is easy to see that the table gives an inaccurate picture of the process: for example, the highest temperature is reached between 2 pm and 3 pm. It is clear that the table can be improved by entering the temperature values observed every half hour. Hour 1 2…… 24 t C 15 12.3… 21,… 16 t C 15 12.3… 21,… 16 The choice of the time interval is called the time step of sampling, and the process of representing a value as a sequential series of its individual (discrete) values are called sampling.
Signals transmitted in electrical form have many advantages: they do not require moving mechanical devices that are slow and prone to breakage; do not require moving mechanical devices that are slow and prone to breakage; the speed of transmission of electrical signals is approaching the maximum possible speed of light; the speed of transmission of electrical signals is approaching the maximum possible speed of light; electrical signals can be easily processed, compared and converted using extremely fast electronic devices. electrical signals can be easily processed, compared and converted using extremely fast electronic devices.
Observation Communicating Reading Viewing listening working in libraries, archives; Request for information systems, databases and data banks; other methods. Observation Communicating Reading Viewing listening working in libraries, archives; Request for information systems, databases and data banks; other methods. Manual Automated Manual Automated Search Methods Information retrieval is the retrieval of stored information.
Making new entries in the phone book Collecting insects for the collection Daily measurement of air temperature, etc. The solution to any problem begins with the collection of information. Making new entries in the phone book Collecting insects for the collection Daily measurement of air temperature, etc. The solution to any problem begins with the collection of information.
Source Receiver Senses - human biological channels Technical communication channels: telephone, radio, etc. Characteristics: transmission speed, bandwidth, noise protection Accurate or approximate reproduction of the information received in any other place is called information transmission. KU DKU Interference, noise Communication channel
A communication channel is a set of technical devices that ensure the transmission of a signal from a source to a receiver. A coding device (CU) is a device designed to convert the original message of an information source to a form convenient for transmission. Decoding device (DKU) - a device for converting a coded message into the original one.
Processing Without the use of technical means ("in the mind") Without the use of technical means ("in the mind") With the use of technical means (including on a PC) With the use of technical means (including on a PC) Types of processing: mathematical calculations; logical reasoning; Search; structuring; coding. Processing rules: algorithms Processing types: mathematical calculations; logical reasoning; Search; structuring; coding. Processing rules: algorithms - transformation of information from one type to another, carried out according to strict formal rules.
INPUT AND OUTPUT INFORMATION Input information is information about objects that a person or device receives. Output information - information that is obtained as a result of the transformation of input information by a person or device. Input information Output information Methods of protection Information protection is called prevention of: access to information by persons who do not have the appropriate permission (unauthorized, illegal access); unintentional or unauthorized use, alteration or destruction of information. Information protection is called the prevention of: access to information by persons who do not have the appropriate permission (unauthorized, illegal access); unintentional or unauthorized use, alteration or destruction of information.
