Rediscovering Communication in Electronic Culture by Conrad Dale Johnson

Conrad Johnson

Ben -- thanks for your interest and your kind words.

You're right that Shannon's approach has been hugely influential. To become a useful concept in the physics of the last century, communication had to be reduced to the transmission of quantifiable data. What's unfortunate is that "the semantic aspects of communication" -- i.e. what makes information meaningful -- has rarely been connected with the physical issue of measurement. That involves a different and more complicated "engineering problem" -- how to set up the physical contexts that let particular kinds of information be determined. We tend to think of "meaning" as something we humans project onto the world.

Conrad

Conrad Johnson

Hi John,

I take your point about "inarticulate" concepts. My own notion that information depends on contexts of meaning is likewise extremely vague and general -- it points to an aspect of the world's structure that our intellectual tradition hasn't yet explored very deeply. So while you didn't actually sound worked up in your comment above, I wouldn't blame you for being so.

I agree that "everything is information" doesn't take us very far. I would rather say, "all information is communicated information"... which opens up more interesting questions. I'm not sure yet how that relates to the concept of energy. But clearly you're pointing to the dynamic aspect of connections, in contrast to the relatively fixed and stable data-content.

Thanks -- Conrad

Mohammed Khalil

Hi Conrad,

Great essay! You offer good arguments supporting your views about communications technology and the future. I enjoyed reading your essay very much, especially the part about Communication and Community. I agree with you that technology had great impact on humanity's present, especially communications and electronic media. I believe that science and technology can lead us to a better future, and in my essay I try to discuss how to accelerate the path to that future. I'd be glad to take your opinion.

Good luck in the contest, and best regards,

Mohammed

Conrad Johnson

Mohammed -- Thank you very much. So far I've only glanced at your essay, but I can see that you've put some serious thought into the question of how science itself can become more efficient. I'll read it and comment as soon as I can.

Conrad

Luca Valeri

Hi Conrad,

In a newly published Preprint from Aerts he tries to find quantum structures in macroscopic structures (language, cognition etc.). This might be interesting for you.

And thanks for the interesting link you posted in my blog. I have to reread the paper again before I comment it. However it touches the main aspects of my essay.

Regards,

Luca

Lorraine Ford

Hi Conrad,

Yours is one of a number of interesting and enlightening essays in this contest which I consider to be essential reading. I like your hopeful vision of how our symbolic communication technologies, from speech to writing to modern electronic technologies, has enhanced our engagement with others and enhanced our imagining of our world and our universe. As you say "But at least we're now seeing something basic about ourselves that's been taken for granted and largely ignored throughout our history". And I agree with you that "that has to help".

Regards,

Lorraine

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