Meaning = Information + Evolution

Carlo Rovelli (1, 2)

1 CPT - E4 Gravité quantique
2 CPT - Centre de Physique Théorique - UMR 7332

Notions like meaning, signal, intentionality, are difficult to relate to a physical word. I study a purely physical definition of "meaningful information", from which these notions can be derived. It is inspired by a model recently illustrated by Kolchinsky and Wolpert, and improves on Dretske classic work on the relation between knowledge and information. I discuss what makes a physical process into a "signal".

Domaines: Relativité Générale et Cosmologie Quantique [gr-qc]

Carlo Rovelli. Meaning = Information + Evolution. Foundations of Physics, In press. ⟨hal-01461384⟩