Information Theory—part 1: overview of key ideas (article)

Creation Ministries International ^ | 1-31-2014 | Royal Truman

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Information Theory—part 1: overview of key ideas by Royal Truman

The origin of information in nature cannot be explained if matter and energy is all there is. But the many, and often contradictory, meanings of information confound a clear analysis of why this is so. In this, the first of a four-part series, the key views about information theory by leading thinkers in the creation/evolution controversy are presented. In part 2, attention is drawn to various difficulties in the existing paradigms in use. Part 3 introduces the notion of replacing Information by Coded Information System (CIS) to resolve many difficulties. Part 4 completes the theoretical backbone of CIS theory, showing how various conceptual frameworks can be integrated into this comprehensive model. The intention is to focus the discussion in the future on whether CISs can arise naturalistically.

information Intelligent beings design tools to help solve problems. These tools can be physical or intellectual, and can be used and reused to solve classes of problems.1 But creating separate tools for each kind of problem is usually inefficient. In nature many problems involving growth, reproduction and adjustment to changes are performed with information-based tools. These share the remarkable property that an almost endless range of intentions can be communicated via coded messages using the same sending, transmission and receiving equipment.

All known life depends on information. But what is information and can it arise naturally? Naturalists deny the existence of anything beyond matter, energy, laws of nature and chance. But then where do will, choice, and information come from?

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Figure 1. Shannon’s schematic diagram of a general communication system.2

Figure 2. The transmission of genetic message from the DNA tape to the protein tape, according to Yockey.17

Figure 3. A comprehensive diagram of the five levels of Universal Information, according to Gitt.32

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Although Spetner says information could be in principle created or increased, Dr Werner Gitt, retired Director and Professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology, denies this:

“Theorem 23: There is no known natural law through which matter can give rise to information, neither is any physical process or material phenomenon known that can do this.”31
In his latest book, Gitt refines and explains his conclusions from a lifetime of research on information and its inseparable reliance on an intelligent source.32 There are various manifestations of information: for example, the spider’s web; the diffraction pattern of butterfly wings; development of embryos; and an organ-playing robot.33 He introduces the term ‘Universal Information’34 to minimize confusion with other usages of the word information:

“Universal Information (UI) is a symbolically encoded, abstractly represented message conveying the expected actions(s) and the intended purposes(s). In this context, ‘message’ is meant to include instructions for carrying out a specific task or eliciting a specific response [emphasis added].”35
Information must be encoded on a series of symbols which satisfy three Necessary Conditions (NC). These are conclusions, based on observation.

NC1: A set of abstract symbols is required.
NC2: The sequence of abstract symbols must be irregular.
NC3: The symbols must be presented in a recognizable form, such as rows, columns, circles, spirals and so on.
Gitt also concludes that UI is embedded in a five-level hierarchy with each level building upon the lower one:

statistics (signal, number of symbols)
cosyntics (set of symbols, grammar)
semantics (meaning)
pragmatics (action)
apobetics (purpose, result).
Gitt believes information is guided by immutable Scientific Laws of Information (SLIs).36,37 Unless shown to be wrong, they deny a naturalist origin for information, and they are:38

SLI-1: Information is a non-material entity.
SLI-2: A material entity cannot create a non-material entity.
SLI-3: UI cannot be created by purely random processes.
SLI-4: UI can only be created by an intelligent sender.
SLI-4a: A code system requires an intelligent sender.
SLI-4b: No new UI without an intelligent sender.
SLI-4c: All senders that create UI have a non-material component.
SLI-4d: Every UI transmission chain can be traced back to an original intelligent sender
SLI-4e: Allocating meanings to, and determining meanings from, sequences of symbols are intellectual processes.
SLI-5: The pragmatic attribute of UI requires a machine.
SLI-5a: UI and creative power are required for the design and construction of all machines.
SLI-5b: A functioning machine means that UI is affecting the material domain.
SLI-5c: Machines operate exclusively within the physical– chemical laws of matter.
SLI-5d: Machines cause matter to function in specific ways.
SLI-6: Existing UI is never increased over time by purely physical, chemical processes.

[sickoflibs]

I recall the measure of information in coding being 1/ the log of the probability that the symbol will be used.

A simple common example : the name Tom conveys very little info as its a too common name,

The name Azaiah is less used in US and has more info in it.