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Meaningful Information

The Bridge Between Biology, Brain, and Behavior

  • Book
  • © 2011

Overview

Authors:
  1. Anthony Reading

    1. University of South Florida, Tampa, USA

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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Biology (BRIEFSBIOL)

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 1-8

  3. Meaningful Information

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 9-15

  4. Cause and Effect

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 17-26

  5. The Detection of Form

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 27-34

  6. The Doorways of Perception

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 35-43

  7. Response Systems

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 45-52

  8. Cognitive Processing

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 53-62

  9. Storage and Retrieval

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 63-71

  10. Knowledge and Understanding

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 73-82

  11. Communication

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 83-88

  12. Language

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 89-95

  13. Cellular Signals

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 97-103

  14. Genetic Messages

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 105-109

  15. Feelings as Information

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 111-122

  16. Consciousness

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 123-134

  17. Maladaptive Behavior

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 135-142

  18. Fabricated Devices

    • Anthony Reading
    Pages 143-150

  19. Back Matter

    Pages 151-158
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About this book

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 meaningful information that different species and different cell types are able to detect are finely matched to the ecosystem in which they live, for natural selection has shaped what they need to know to function effectively in those circumstances. Biological detection and response systems range from the chemical configurations that govern genes and cell life to the relatively simple tropisms that guide single-cell organisms, the rudimentary nervous systems of invertebrates, and the complex neuronal structures of mammals and primates. The scope of meaningful information that can be detected and responded to reaches its peak in our own species, as exemplified by our special abilities in language, cognition, emotion, and consciousness, all of which are explored within this new framework.

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of South Florida, Tampa, USA

    Anthony Reading

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Meaningful Information

  • Book Subtitle: The Bridge Between Biology, Brain, and Behavior

  • Authors: Anthony Reading

  • Series Title: SpringerBriefs in Biology

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0158-2

  • Publisher: Springer New York, NY

  • eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2011

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4614-0157-5Published: 29 June 2011

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-4614-0158-2Published: 16 June 2011

  • Series ISSN: 2192-2179

  • Series E-ISSN: 2192-2187

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIV, 158

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Evolutionary Biology, Cognitive Psychology, Philosophy of Science, Neurosciences

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