Meaningful Information

The book introduces a radically new way of thinking about information and the important role it plays in living systems. It opens up new avenues for exploring how cells and organisms change and adapt, since the ability to detect and respond to meaningful information is the key that enables them to receive their genetic heritage, regulate their internal milieu, and respond to changes in their environment. It also provides a way of resolving Descartes' dilemma by explaining the workings of the brain in non-mechanical terms that are not tainted by spiritual or metaphysical beliefs. The types of m.

Meaningful Information; Preface; Contents; Chapter 1: Introduction; The Source of Confusion; Conveying Meaning; Cause and Effect; References; Chapter 2: Meaningful Information; Key Concepts; Biological Information; Information and Energy; References; Chapter 3: Cause and Effect; Explaining Change; Mind and Brain; Feedback; Goal-Directed Behavior; Ultimate Causes; References; Chapter 4: The Detection of Form; Detecting Information; Object Detection; Discrepancy Detection; Categories; Sensation Versus Perception; References; Chapter 5: The Doorways of Perception; Taste and Smell.

Hormones and PheromonesTactile and Kinesthetic Senses; Hearing; Vision; Space and Time; References; Chapter 6: Response Systems; Circuits; Innate Responses; Learned Responses; Meaning; A New Model; Selective Advantages; References; Chapter 7: Cognitive Processing; Digital and Analog; Discrete Objects; Wholes and Parts; Symbols; Neural Symbols; Modality Differences; References; Chapter 8: Storage and Retrieval; Memory and Learning; Recognition and Recall; Retention; What Gets Stored; Paying Attention; References; Chapter 9: Knowledge and Understanding; Knowledge; Reasoning; Understanding.

Mental ModelsPred…