332,202 research outputs found
The Silent Voice of Those Who are no Longer: Transgenerational Transmission of Information from the Perspective of the Informational Model of Consciousness
The “nature or nurture” problem concerning the debate on the innate features with respect to the
acquired ones is approached in terms of information, from the perspective of the Informational Model
of Consciousness. This model reveals seven distinct informational systems reflected in consciousness as
informational centers, i.e. memory (Iknow-Ik), decisional info-operational center (Iwant-Iw), emotions
(Ilove-Il), metabolic operations (Iam-Ia), genetic transmission (Icreate-Ic), genetic info-generation
(Icreated-Icd) and the anti-entropic center (Ibelieve-Ib). Ib is a life-assisting beneficial center, because
it is opposed to the entropic action of matter, eliminating or reducing the uncertainty characteristic of
unknown possibilities to certainty, and inducing in this way the trust and confidence in own actions.
The pro and contra arguments of the “nature or nurture” are shortly presented, noting the large range of
divergent opinions and concepts on the approached problem. It is shown that the information concept
acting both as informal and matter-related information, specifically referred to the embodiment/
disembodiment mechanisms for the transmission of information during the epigenetic processes, can
coherently approach and explain the transgenerational transmission of the traits acquired during the life
span of the predecessors. The concepts of tendency, affinity, propensity, predisposition, aptitude, vocation
and talent, specific for inheritable properties described by Icd are discussed, pointing out the large pallet
and variety of such concepts describing the evidences detected by external observers on the inherited
behaviors, and that of self-perceived by the implicated individual, as a silent voice of whose are no
longer. The external manifestation of such inherited features and traits depends on practice, because the
characteristic operation of the nervous system and of epigenetic processes is based on repetition and/or
intensive practice, but these are permanently guided by the silent voice of those who are no longer, with
various signal intensities
Quantum coherent three-terminal thermoelectrics: maximum efficiency at given power output
We consider the nonlinear scattering theory for three-terminal thermoelectric
devices, used for power generation or refrigeration. Such systems are quantum
phase-coherent versions of a thermocouple, and the theory applies to systems in
which interactions can be treated at a mean-field level. We consider an
arbitrary three-terminal system in any external magnetic field, including
systems with broken time-reversal symmetry, such as chiral thermoelectrics, as
well as systems in which the magnetic field plays no role. We show that the
upper bound on efficiency at given power output is of quantum origin and is
stricter than Carnot's bound. The bound is exactly the same as previously found
for two-terminal devices, and can be achieved by three-terminal systems with or
without broken time-reversal symmetry, i.e. chiral and non-chiral
thermoelectrics.Comment: 22 pages (final version
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