Mark Nyquist

One issue with information is that multiple definitions have developed. I think the brain state definition is the best one scientifically because it's...

Is your term 'intentional content' somehow different from what I call 'mental content'? I wound say they are the same thing. In the form of a true/fal...

So you are not liking this information is brain state idea. If I go from physical matter to human brains that hold mental content that is just setting...

So, given two choices: 1) information is an abstract concept. Or 2). Information is brain state; neurons holding mental content. Which do you prefer o...

If you are getting at something of a dualist nature I might understand. Brain state is neurons holding mental content. The neurons obey the laws of ph...

I might be unsure what you mean by semiotics. To me that means signs and symbols external to brains that by convention or common use can transfer brai...

As for the OP, I see a shortcoming in how a mechanistic view of science deals with the definition of information.

Thanks, I like it. First time I've come across it. Hebbian theory. Information existing as neural networks. That works for me. It's a physical basis, ...

Do you have an opinion of how information exists, mechanistically or otherwise, only an abstraction or something physical? I've noticed some physicali...

I watched part of a Terrence Deacon video. Just my perspective, but I think he is strong on brain anatomy and monkey to human comparisons but weak on ...

I looked. Still think I'm on the right track.

Terrence Deacon. I'll go look.

I'm just thinking this through... Maybe nested non-physicals, which do have a physical form in their neural correlates, proceed to new content.

So for me, the non-physical comes in at a secondary level. You have brains that have the ability to hold mental content and that content is what is no...

Your example shows how our minds can travel time and space in a way that is non-physical. Your side of the planet, 12 noon, sun visible Your side of t...

The sun is in the sky... physical. The sun is not in the sky... non-physical. Physical and non-physical are embedded in our mental realities.

Sorry, typo...exclude, not excuse. Still have a problem with it?

Here's my take on monism, physicalism vs. dualism... The people who are monists will eventually realize there is something emergent that is non-physic...

Actually, I could say that if a physical chain of control is fundamental to the process. Sure, but not based on abstract concepts.

Okay, just rhetorical, Here's the issue. I'm giving the physicalist perspective that I have a problem with. And sorry for the delayed response because...

No errors on my part. Do you have a reading comprehension problem?? Get up to speed or I won't talk to you.

I was thinking that hidden dualism and ghost in the machine are the same problem. For a physicalist, thoughts, ideas, concepts (and possibly qualia) w...

Gilbert Ryle...'ghost in the machine' seems relevant.. Just stumbled across it.. A physicalist might dismiss it but that might be a mistake.. His thin...

I do like philosophy (as it is here) but I don't pick up books and spend hours. Maybe a short attention span but if you give references I'll usually s...

There is still an issue I have with physicalism. Physical matter is restricted to the physical present. Our mental content can deal with past, present...

You're probably right. I made it sound like you were conceding something. My fault.

There is the non-physical which I agree is by definition physically non-existent. But what I meant is a brain supported concept of something, such as ...

Sorry, it's the first I've heard about non-dualism, but that's not surprising because I just hate reading philosophy, so I never do. As a test, does n...

Anyone who has been around here long knows we have beat information theories to death. And there is no consensus. I like information as brain state be...

Sorry, I wasn't thinking about metaphysics at all. But if you get as far as our brains operating in an environment of non-physical content then metaph...

There really is a problem of terms and definitions here to sort out: Physicalism - only the physical exists Or Physicalism -the physical exists AND ph...

Actually I don't disagree. Great explanation of how a physicalists could deal with the non-physical. I think this secondary level gives the detail tha...

It's interesting you use the word hidebound to describe the...academics. Have you noticed the inconsistencies in their positions? They want everything...

I looked at the survey you referenced and don't think I could get through all the questions without a dictionary of philosophy although the questions ...

So you have an issue with the big assumption and question begging. Going a little deeper, it's a yes no question and I leave it open to how you would ...

The whole monism/dualism question leads to a category error. Is everything derived from physical matter? Assuming yes, then is that the end of it for ...

Good you point out any array. Encoded matter being a special case but all inputs to our brains can become information in the form of brain state. Ther...

Is information physical? If no, then it does not physically exist. And if information is physical then show what its physical form is. Is there more t...

Going a little deeper on the relation of Shannon information to our brain information things get interesting when you consider computation. A basic pr...

No doubt the Shannon theory has had a huge impact. The subject of information gets worked over a lot here. On the subject of information theory and wh...

Shannon information is a physical state. Shannon information = Brain information ( what we experience) is much more. There is the ability to hold and ...

Something I just came across are the returns coming in from the James Webb Space Telescope. There seems to be questions now that suggest the big bang ...

I read your references and I still have trouble even having an opinion. All I see is problems when we propose materialism or monism especially when it...

Harry Nyquist comes up here occasionally. I'm not related. Harry Nyquist worked in the same areas as Chaude Shannon. Their work was with electronic co...

I try to follow your arguments the best I can. I still don't see how nothing can become the physical universe based on formless potential. I don't hav...

I think you have mentioned giving form to the formless, and that could be the issue (or part) of what the monism/dualism question is about. We deal wi...

Since Monism, as it exists on this forum, has failed to provide any coherent theory of information, a test of functionality should by applied. Somethi...

I mentioned a couple days ago about the irrational number pi being an example of something immaterial that we encounter. So pi doesn't physically exis...

You seem to be pressing some point of logic that I don't see as relevant. Maybe explaining my method would help. For some problems you can start with ...

Monism could be a dead end. Our mental worlds are very much about manipulating the immaterial. I said before Dualists might have better instincts abou...