The Dissolution of Bar-Hillel-Carnap Paradox by Semantic Information Theory Based on a Paraconsistent Logic

Several logical puzzles, riddles and problems are defined based on the notion of games in informative contexts. Hintikka argues that epistemology or the theory of knowledge must be considered from the notion of information. So, knowledge cannot just be based on the notions of belief and justification. The present proposal will focus on the logical structure of information, and not only on the quantification of information as suggested by Claude A. Shannon (1916-2001) (Shannon 1948). In many cases, the information bits, although seemingly or factually contradictory, are quite relevant. The paraconsistent systems of logic offer a formalization of reasoning that can support certain contradictions. The well-known “Bar-Hillel–Carnap Paradox” (Bar-Hillel, 1964) causes embarrassment when it concludes that the informational content of a contradiction would be maximum, opposing the traditional notion that the semantic information must be true, and that contradictions are necessarily false

An outline of a theory of semantic information

"October 27, 1952."Includes bibliographical references.Army Signal Corps Contract No. DA36-039 sc-100 Project No. 8-102B-0 Dept. of the Army Project No. 3-99-10-022Rudolf Carnap, Yehoshua Bar-Hillel

Three Survey Papers: 1) A Survey of Work Done by the Bio-Systems Group of the Control Systems Laboratory; 2) Studies of Human Channel Capacity; 3) The Informational Limitations of Decision Making

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryThe scanned copy is a Coordinated Science Laboratory reprint produced in March 1965.Contract DA-36-039-SC-5669

When ‘the Difference That Makes a Difference’ Makes a Difference: A Bottom-Up Approach to the Study of Information

The concept of information is foundational to many disciplines yet also problematic and contested. This article contributes to the understanding of information through discussion of the findings of the interdisciplinary Difference That Makes a Difference (DTMD) project. DTMD used international conferences and workshops to bring together individuals from a wide range of disciplines to share how their field understands information, to engage in interdisciplinary conversations, and to contribute to edited publications. A simple answer to the question ‘what is information?’ is not forthcoming, but, it is argued, should no more be expected than would be an answer to ‘what is matter?’. Nevertheless, through exploration of the areas of consensus that emerged from the bottom-up process of interdisciplinary dialogue, this paper offers ten assertions about the nature of information narratives for further debate. The assertions range from ‘information requires a body’, through ‘information always has meaning’ and ‘information cannot be stored or communicated’ to ‘information is always shaped by power, authority and hierarchy’. This article finishes by illustrating and testing the assertions against an information case study of a team of medical experts disseminating information to the general public about the COVID-19 virus

Human Performance in Information Transmission: Part III

Control Systems Laboratory changed its name to Coordinated Science LaboratoryContract DA-36-039-SC-5669

Mind, body, and the philosophical theology of Donald M. MacKay

In this thesis, we are seeking to examine a relatively narrow aspect of the work of Donald M. MacKay. In particular, we are seeking to examine his work in relation to a very specific problem as it presents itself to a relatively specific group of people. The problem we will seek MacKay's help in working through is what has come to be known by contemporary Anglo/American philosophers as 'the mind/body problem'. The group of people we will be attempting to help deal with this problem is the contemporary evangelical Christian Church.What we are dealing with is essentially a contemporary problem as it relates to a contemporary system of belief. Though in this sense, this thesis is decidedly not historical, it must be acknowledged that the historical roots of both the system of belief it sets out to preserve and the problem it sets out to work through run very deeply. In fact, even before God's people were called 'the Christian Church', there was a mind/body problem—and ever since the Church took up the task of explaining her beliefs, something like the mind/body problem has been an issue.After introducing the mind/body problem as it relates to the contemporary evangelical Christian Church in chapter 1 and the career of Donald MacKay as it relates to the mind/body problem in chapter 2, we proceeded to explain MacKay's metaphysical anthropology.The key to understanding MacKay's metaphysical anthropology is his understanding of logical complementarity. Accordingly, we devoted chapter 3 to the task of expositing his work in that area before proceeding, in chapter 4, to explain in more detail how this understanding related to the mind/body problem. We saw in chapter 4 that MacKay's understanding of logical complementarity allowed him to say that human beings are multi-faceted creatures—creatures that may be meaningfully described in many different kinds of ways. Most significantly, MacKay argued that although mental descriptions and physical descriptions necessitate radically different standpoints, they do not necessitate substantially different subjects.In saying that mental descriptions and physical descriptions can apply to human beings with equal validity, however, he raised the following objections from other evangelicals: 1) If physical descriptions really apply to me in the same way that mental descriptions do, and the subjects ofphysical descriptions must always obey the mechanical laws of cause and effect, how can /be said to befree? And 2) If mental descriptions and physical descriptions really apply to the same 'me', how can I reasonably hope for mental life after my body dies?Since MacKay dealt with this first objection rather extensively and consistently throughout his academic life, Chapter 5 was devoted to explaining and evaluating his response.With regard to the second objection, however, MacKay seems to have altered his position somewhat in the final years of his career. Since this alteration in his position may have been at least partly due to the complexity ofrelated theological issues, we spent the first half of chapter 6 explaining these complex issues by investigating the related controversies in biblical, philosophical, and systematic Mind, Body, and the Philosophical Theology of Donald M. MacKay theology during MacKay's lifetime. In the second half of chapter 6, we explained the shift in MacKay's position relative to this second objection as it relates to these theological controversies

Esboço de uma teoria semântica da informação

Neste artigo, Bar-Hillel e Carnap apresentam pela primeira vez as ideias básicas de uma teoria da informação semântica. O conceito de informação, baseado em sentença declarativa em uma dada linguagem, é definido pelo conteúdo descritivo expresso pelas sentenças. A quantidade de informação é calculada com base em um conjunto de funções lógicas probabilísticas sobre conjuntos de conteúdos descritíveis. Esta teoria tem aplicabilidade dedutiva e indutiva, significando um marco para o desenvolvimento das teorias filosóficas da informação

Advanced scanners and imaging systems for earth observations

Assessments of present and future sensors and sensor related technology are reported along with a description of user needs and applications. Five areas are outlined: (1) electromechanical scanners, (2) self-scanned solid state sensors, (3) electron beam imagers, (4) sensor related technology, and (5) user applications. Recommendations, charts, system designs, technical approaches, and bibliographies are included for each area