BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

INFORMATION (Potential) 1)3)

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As noted by D. GERNERT, information may exist in a potential form (or structural form) as for example in a crystal (2000, p. 255)

The use of two different terms – structural, potential- is very useful; for a better understanding of the nature of information.

A crystal is an ordered structure, would we say. But to say it in that way implies a semantic ambiguity. In fact the structure becomes apparent only to somebody who is able:

1) to observe it by sight or using an appropriate device

2) to make sense of what can be seen "Potential" information becomes effective only after passing through perception first, and interpretation next.

This becomes still clarer when we find out that deformations in our perception and spurious interpretation (i.e. that does not allow us to act efficiently on the base of our view) can lead us completely astray-even if structural information has not changed, i.e. is still there potentially within the crystal.

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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