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<p>Dear Xueshan,</p>
<p>It's a bit more complicated, as indicated by my previous comment.</p>
<p>Best wishes,</p>
<p>Eric<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/5/24 2:30 PM, Xueshan Yan wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:000001db4719$df2ffc20$9d8ff460$@pku.edu.cn">
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<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Dear
Joseph,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">No,
no, we are your students, forever. For many years, you have
always used beautiful language and a natural scientist's
perspective to sharply narrate every information issue,
which is evident to all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Today,
from a philosophical perspective, you have examined every
question I have raised, and I am very pleased. Especially
your review: “Hidden in Cloud 4 is the 'philosopher's stone'
with which the nature of information can be tested. The
question is whether the phenomenon under study is capable of
effecting change.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">We
have exchanges over 10 years and understand each other very
easily.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-top:6.0pt;mso-para-margin-top:.5gd;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Best
wishes</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:等线">，</span><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Xueshan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.5gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.5gd;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">==========================<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Dear
Marcus,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Explanation
1*: It explains the background behind my proposal for the
concept of inforware.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Explanation
2**: An inforware is divided into three levels: Information,
Sign, and Substrate. The substrate is at the bottom level
and is typically outside the scope of information science
research. "ENTITY" and "AGENT" are good words, feel free to
use them instead of worrying too much about what I said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-top:6.0pt;mso-para-margin-top:.5gd;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Best
wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Xueshan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.5gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.5gd;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">==========================<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Dear
Eric,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">I
really appreciate your explanation. When reviewing the
different definitions of "information" by information
scientists, we find that many scholars define it as "code"
or "sequence". At the same time, when looking back at the
history of the definition of genes, from the original
concept of “gene” to “genetic material”, most molecular
biologists prefer to use "information" instead of "gene"
today. Therefore, I would like try to express this issue
using a language of fundamental information science: CRISPR
is a technology that edits base signs sequences through
genetic engineering, ultimately leading to changes in
genetic information. I don't know if this statement is
correct.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-top:6.0pt;mso-para-margin-top:.5gd;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Best
wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Xueshan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.5gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.5gd;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">==========================<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Dear
Gordana,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">They
are not parallel. We are not discussing the same issue.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">I
was shocked to see Mark's statement; we all coincidentally
thought of the root of the word "information" in English.
Mark used "inf," while I used "infor," and the root of the
word "goods" is "ware." The significance of Mark's work lies
in his attempt to bring computer science back to the path of
information science. “Hardware”, “Software”, “Infware" –
three beautiful instances of parallelism. If it were me, I
would likely have created this new word as well. It is
already a well-known mystery that computer science does not
study information issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gordana,
thank you for providing this clue.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-top:6.0pt;mso-para-margin-top:.5gd;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Best
wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Xueshan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.5gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.5gd;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">==========================<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Dear
Francesco,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Your
triad of meaning, information and communication is very
interesting. Let's hear everyone's comments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-top:6.0pt;mso-para-margin-top:.5gd;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Best
wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Xueshan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.5gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.5gd;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:15.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">==========================<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div
style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:fis-bounces@listas.unizar.es">fis-bounces@listas.unizar.es</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:fis-bounces@listas.unizar.es"><fis-bounces@listas.unizar.es></a> <b>On Behalf Of </b><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:joe.brenner@bluewin.ch">joe.brenner@bluewin.ch</a><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 4, 2024 6:32 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:yxs@pku.edu.cn">yxs@pku.edu.cn</a>; FIS
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:fis@listas.unizar.es"><fis@listas.unizar.es></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Fis] Five Clouds over Fundamental
Information Science<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Dear Professor Yan,
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">You have given us –
your "students" – a very difficult assignment. To make
it a little easier for myself, I decided to look at the
different issues from the perspective of the
ontic-epistemic distinction, starting with those in your
title. The real problem for me, thus is with the two
lines of the second footnote (**): <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Clouds <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> On first
thought, a homogeneous form constituted by water
droplets; on a second, the very embodiment of ontic
change, appearance, growth and disappearance, with
violent exchanges of energy as lightning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Signs <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> The sign is a
representation, as accurate as you please, of a real
object or process. On this basis it is essentially
epistemic. Information, on the other hand, has both
epistemic and ontic properties, and cannot be reduced to
signs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Meaning (Cloud 1) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> Following the
second point, information and meaning can be considered
as two different expressions of one existence (or
existence <em><span style="font-family:宋体">tout court</span></em>),
both embodying and applicable to <em><span
style="font-family:宋体">change.</span></em> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Brain or Animal
Informatics (Cloud 2) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> This Cloud
seems mainly concerned with Informatics as an epistemic
field, essentially self-defined. I have nothing
particular to add. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Genetics as a
Discipline of Informatics (Cloud 3) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> What is being
elaborated here is a further aspect of what I have
concluded is an epistemic domain. Bases can function as
signs, if you will, but the phenomena of interest are,
exactly, those in neuroscience and endocrinology and it
is the ontic properties of the bases (residual charge, <em><span
style="font-family:宋体">etc.</span></em>) that
determine how the genetic material functions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Communication
between Infowares <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> Hidden in this
Cloud 4 is the “philosopher’s stone” with which the
nature of information can be tested. The question, as
many have stated in their definitions of information, is
whether the phenomenon under study is capable of
effecting <em><span style="font-family:宋体">change. </span></em>On
this basis, I can confirm by experience that my cats (<em><span
style="font-family:宋体">pace</span></em>) and I
communicated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Exploration of
Fundamental Information Science <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> The
commonalities between in information disciplines, as
embodied in most of the above Clouds, remain for me
epistemic, questions of semantic modes of existence.
That their “complexity and enormity” exist all right and
have been difficult to handle in science and philosophy
is clear. In this view, however, Cloud 2 on Meaning is
the counterargument to Line **, which I reproduce here:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> “Studies
focused solely on substrates <strong><span
style="font-family:宋体">typically </span></strong>(emphasis
mine) fall under the technical or natural sciences
rather than information science.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> What this says
to me is that at worst (at best?), my ontic approach to
meaning-information is a-typical but can exist. It thus
co-exists with the largely epistemic standard view, and
this co-existence can be studied as an aspect of
information science as well. I give the last word to the
5<sup>th</sup> Century BCE Greek playwright
Aristophanes, whose a-typical play <em><span
style="font-family:宋体">The Clouds </span></em>focused
on problems of knowledge and existence (“The
Thinkery”). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best wishes, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Joseph
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Le 02.12.2024 10:09
CET, Xueshan Yan <<a href="mailto:yxs@pku.edu.cn"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">yxs@pku.edu.cn</a>>
a écrit : <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p
style="margin:0cm;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Dear
colleagues,</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">I
have summarized five sets of puzzles faced by
fundamental information science and called them 'clouds'
― some of which have been emphasized by Pedro on many
occasions. I am now glade to hear everyone's different
opinions.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;layout-grid-mode:char;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US" style="font-family:宋体;color:black"> </span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="margin:0cm;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Best
wishes,</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="margin:0cm;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Xueshan
Yan</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Professor
Emeritus</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="margin:0cm;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Department
of Information Management</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="margin:0cm;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Peking
University, China</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;layout-grid-mode:char;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222"> </span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;layout-grid-mode:char;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222"> </span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;layout-grid-mode:char;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222"> </span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;layout-grid-mode:char;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Five
Clouds over Fundamental Information Science</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;layout-grid-mode:char;background:white"><em><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222;font-style:normal">Xueshan
Yan</span></em><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:1.0gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Inforware*</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">:
Information must exist in signs, and signs must exist on
substrates**. We define a trinity composed of
information, sign, and substrate as an Inforware.</span><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Four
Concomitant Disciplines: </span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Based
on the structure of an inforware, we have Informatics
for studying information, and Semiotics for studying
signs―the existence mode of information. Since
communication is the transmission of information and
computation is the processing of information, we also
have another two fundamental disciplines: Communication
Studies and Computation Studies. These four disciplines
are concomitant; that is, if one is present, the other
three (or more) will eventually emerge.</span><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Cloud
1. Information and Meaning</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">:
What is information? Since 1948, information scientists
have been discussing it for 76 years, yet still cannot
provide a definitive answer. What is meaning? Since
1825, linguists have been debating it for 200 years and
still cannot reach a definitive conclusion.
Nevertheless, linguistics has been established
successfully. Let’s consider a hypothesis: if we were to
suspend all discussions about the definition of
information for three years, what else could we do? From
a human perspective, are information and meaning two
homogenous issues</span><span lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">?
Or are they two different expressions of one existence</span><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">?</span><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Cloud
2. Brain Informatics or Animal Informatics</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">:<strong><span
style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
</span></strong>It has been demonstrated that any
organism with a brain inforware can communicate with
others; therefore, brain informatics must exist,
―storing, sending, and receiving information are
fundamental functions of the brain―, and human
informatics already exists. Similarly, we could explore
bee informatics, elephant informatics, and so on. Can we
assume that there are as many types of animal
informatics as there are animal species?</span><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Cloud
3. Genetics as a Discipline of Informatics:</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">
Cells can communicate. The central dogma of molecular
biology describes the pathway of DNA→RNA→protein,
through which genetic information flows. In this
process, DNA serves as substrate, bases function as
signs, and genomics represents informatics. If we
propose that genetics is the most successful branch of
informatics, what would be the response from biologists?
Could a similar phenomenon also be observed in
neuroscience and endocrinology?</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Cloud
4. Communication between Inforwares</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">:
Some speculate that two supramolecules can communicate
with each other. But can two ordinary molecules
communicate? Can two atoms communicate? Can two
celestial bodies communicate? Can plants communicate
with one another? Can different inforwares communicate
across different levels? Is the communication between
humans and cats true communication (language
comprehension) or false communication (conditional
reflex)?</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.1pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Cloud
5. Exploration of Fundamental Information Science</span></strong><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">:
Can we regard fundamental information science as an
exploration based on the inductive method, focusing on
the commonalities among various fundamental information
disciplines, especially the four concomitant disciplines
mentioned above? The complexity and enormity of this
venture have far exceeded anyone's imagination. Is it
one of the most challenging disciplines to study in
contemporary times? Or, does it not exist at all?</span><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;mso-margin-top-alt:.3gd;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;text-indent:22.0pt;line-height:13.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">---------------------</span><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="margin:0cm;text-indent:20.15pt;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><em><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">*Any
discipline has its own concept framework, which is why
I coined the new term </span></em><strong><i><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">Inforware</span></i></strong><em><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">.
For example, the computer science is built on the two
primary concepts of hardware and software.</span></em><span
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p
style="margin:0cm;text-indent:20.15pt;line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;background:white"><em><span
lang="EN-US"
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#222222">**Studies
focused solely on substrates typically fall under the
technical or natural sciences rather than information
science.</span></em><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<i>
Dr. Eric Werner, FLS <br>
Oxford Advanced Research Foundation <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://oarf.org__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!Xh80SJuSXm-wWU8D-JSB-mCS9jAHA2AnPIV6djjGSRw544snM6cH0n8aWdMKn68JW_b8ZYMvs4ZX41WvGpw9CNM$">https://oarf.org</a> <br>
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