Computing Nature – A Network of Networks of Concurrent Information Processes

Abstract

This book is about nature considered as the totality of physical existence, the universe. By physical we mean all phenomena -objects and processes -that are possible to detect either directly by our senses or via instruments. Historically, there have been many ways of describing the universe (cosmic egg, cosmic tree, theistic universe, mechanistic universe) while a particularly prominent contemporary approach is computational universe.One of the most important pioneers of computing, Turing, described by Hodges as natural philosopher, can be identified as a forerunner and founder of the notion of computing nature and natural computing through his morphological computing and "unorganized" (neural-network type) machines. Dodig-Crnkovic and Basti in this volume address Turing's role as a pioneer of natural computing. Present day computers are distinctly different from the early stand-alone calculating machines that Turing helped construct, designed to mechanize computation of mathematical functions. Computers today are networked and largely used for worldwide communication and variety of information processing and knowledge management. They are cognitive tools of extended mind used in social interactions and ever growing repositories of information. Moreover, computers play an important role in the control of physical processes and thus connect directly to the physical world, especially in automation, traffic control and robotics. Apart from classical engineering and hard-scientific domains, computing has in recent decades pervaded new fields such as biology and social sciences, humanities and arts -all previously considered as typical soft, non-mechanical and unautomatable domains.

Hierarchy and the Nature of Information

“…This leads to the heterarchical character of neural networks, although the compression of parallel processing to the serial output required for muscle action takes place through hierarchical structures. Dodig-Crnkovic and Giovagnoli [4] have described Nature as a hierarchically organized network of networks, which corresponds to our own viewpoint.…”

“…Any other position would negate the importance of hierarchy in Nature. As Dodig-Crnkovic and Giovagnoli [4] comment in their discussion of connectionist approaches, " . .…”

Nature as a network of morphological infocomputational processes for cognitive agents

“…This tension between an (isolated) individual one and (interacting) social many can be found in Cottam et al [54] who distinguish "conceptual umbrella of entity and its ecosystem" and Schroeder's view that "Information can be defined in terms of the categorical opposition of one and many, leading to two manifestations of information, selective and structural. These manifestations of information are dual in the sense that one always is associated with the other."…”

“…These manifestations of information are dual in the sense that one always is associated with the other." Here information is directly related with computation defined as information processing [54].…”

Natural/Unconventional Computing and Its Philosophical Significance

“…Particular developments that papers addressed were, among others: The embedded, embodied, and enactive approach to cognitive science; the dynamic systems approach; other representational possibilities: no representations or minimal representations and process/procedural representations. Hernandez-Espinosa; Franchette; Douglas; Giovagnoli and Schroeder, collected in the book Computing Nature [4], forthcoming in the Springer SAPERE book series.…”