Re: Where does the information come from?

Richard Kouchoo (rkouchoo@firstdata.com.au)
Mon, 23 Aug 1999 10:15:59 +1000

<<<Here's the punchline: After Cog has learned a task, there must be a
great deal of information in its distributed memory. Out of all
possible variable sets which could cause Cog to move in a variety of
ways, only a tiny subset of variables allow it to perform the specified
task. (This is analogous to the fact that out of all possible DNA
sequences, only a tiny subset of DNA sequences can produce a living
creature.) To use Dembski's terminology, Cog's variable set after
learning a task is a low-probability specified set of numbers.)

Where did that information come from?>>>

The subset of data that is being referred to here is only considered to be
'information' when it is somehow interpreted by the software running this
robot. The data by itself cannot be classified as 'information' since the
values contained within the variables used by Cog would be meaningless were
it not for the interpretation machinery (software designed by intelligent
minds to receive and interpret data). So the question "where did that
information come from?", I think is beside the point.

The data generated (in this case the software [designed by intelligent
programmers] generates the initial data using external input) is ultimately
used by the software (interpreter mechanism, designed by intelligent minds)
to aid Cog in its learning process. Only under these 'send' and 'receive'
conditions is the data considered to be information.