Physical computation as dynamics of form that glues everything together
Journal article, 2012

The framework is proposed where matter can be seen as related to energy in a way structure relates to process and information relates to computation. In this scheme matter corresponds to a structure, which corresponds to information. Energy corresponds to the ability to carry out a process, which corresponds to computation. The relationship between each two complementary parts of each dichotomous pair (matter/energy, structure/process, information/computation) are analogous to the relationship between being and becoming, where being is the persistence of an existing structure while becoming is the emergence of a new structure through the process of interactions. This approach presents a unified view built on two fundamental ontological categories: Information and computation. Conceptualizing the physical world as an intricate tapestry of protoinformation networks evolving through processes of natural computation helps to make more coherent models of nature, connecting non-living and living worlds. It presents a suitable basis for incorporating current developments in understanding of biological/cognitive/social systems as generated by complexification of physicochemical processes through self-organization of molecules into dynamic adaptive complex systems by morphogenesis, adaptation and learning-all of which are understood as information processing.

Matter/energy

Information/computation

Natural computationalism

Structure/process

Info-computationalism

Information dynamics

Author

Gordana Dodig Crnkovic

Information (Switzerland)

20782489 (eISSN)

Vol. 3 2 204-218

Areas of Advance

Information and Communication Technology

Subject Categories

Computer and Information Science

Philosophy

Other Physics Topics

Computer Science

Infrastructure

C3SE (Chalmers Centre for Computational Science and Engineering)

DOI

10.3390/info3020204

More information

Created

10/10/2017