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...the difference between that which is alive and that which is not is information (Pattee, Rocha, Yockey, et al). Information is defined by Shannon as a successful communication. For instance, when a cell no longer communicates, it is dead.

As strange as this may sound to folks who haven't bothered to study or reflect on this, I couldn't agree with you more, A-G. But if folks do think about this, then they have to figure out what it means.

Maybe this sort of thing is just too taxing an exercise for folks who are perfectly fine human beings despite their lack of interest in the subject. I guess this is why we have scientists and philosophers (not to menton theologians) -- who specialize in critical questions that no one else has the time to care about, or at least about which they have no interest, even as reasonably well-informed generalists. Still, even "folks" have to pay attention to what's going on both in politics and in science these days -- if only for reasons of self-defense. :^)

Or so it seems to me.

Thank you A-G.

If I may, I suggest that the principle issue here is the word "information." To me, when a biologist uses it in discussions about DNA, he's talking about the arrangement of the molecules, which determines their function. That's all I see, just organic chemistry. The arrangement is the information.

I suspect that you are putting much more meaning into the word "information." If you define it so as to mean that DNA contains some kind of message from somewhere, then you have pre-determined (so to speak) your conclusion that something more than chemistry must be going on. But that conclusion is inherent in the way you define "information," and I really think your definition needs some work.