Interdisciplinary Approaches of Information
Full and regularly actualized programme at http://groups.google.fr/group/iai-cri
Séance du 22.01.08 |
Meetings every Thursday 16h-19h @CRI Faculté de Médecine, site Cochin Port-Royal - Paris Descartes Université - 24, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques Paris 14e
This course will address the evolution of information itself and evolutionary transitions in the way living systems handle information, as well as the co-evolution between such “processing”, “content of information” and “donors” towards “recipients” asymmetry in nature and degree of activity.
- The IAI Club is subdivided into 4 subtopics to allow more flexibility in attendance, and to foster a relevant, exhaustive exploration of the concept of information.
1. Digital information & the Web
These sessions will be co-organised with the M2 AIW. They will explore how the web offers a new way to gather data and test hypotheses regarding the use, creation, sharing of information. Beyond being a tool for research, the web is also a informational system on its own. We will try to understand its specificities in terms of dynamics, quantitative aspects, etc...
2. Cultural information & Teaching
These sessions will be organised in part as a preparation to the workshop on innovative teaching lead by Stephen Stearns and that will take place at CRI in June 2009. We will discuss the way educational systems work in different countries, and their implication for democracy, creativity and innovation in societies. These session will also echo discussions held in the creativity course lead by Carl Neuman. November will also be devoted to study the social implications of information, from an economical perspective.
3. Biological information
We will review the use of the concept of information in various fields of biology. We will discuss each time the usefulness of such a concept / analogy to the understanding of the processes at stake. Some crucial properties of information, such as the notions of fidelity or evolvability, will be tackled from a biological point of view. Moreover, thanks to several lectures by Minus Van Baalen, we plan to discuss the role of signals and information in ecosystems.
4. Models & concepts
- We will explore on a more theoretical basis how teaching can be modelled and whether evolutionary biology can bring useful insights to the understanding of the emergence of such behaviour humans as well as in other species. We will discuss the usefulness of conceptual frameworks that may encompass very different living systems, trying to categories major transitions in the way information is dynamically processed, shared and stored.
The Interdisciplinary Approaches of Information Club continues its sessions in November and December:
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