I suggest some adjustments of terminology:
Mihai Nadin: In the sense [of Robert Rosen], observation is measuring.
Kingsley Idehen: Observation is basically existential quantification (measurement). i.e., that something exists with certain discernible attributes. Naturally, this is situation and observer oriented.
Robert Rosen (and many other philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists) have studied those issues in detail. Measurement is the result of comparing a percept to some standard as a result of selective attention and interpretation. What is selected depends on an open-ended variety of factors, of which situation and observer are significant.
MN: The data is the outcome. The theory (based on thermodynamics) of how data is transmitted is Shannon’s contribution (with the unfortunate use of the word information as a substitute for data).
The word 'data' (what is given) is inappropriate for what is observed (taken and processed by some observer). It would be a good word for what is passed along to another agent (human, animal, machine, or mythological being).
Unless anybody can suggest a better word for what is stored in the brain (or computer storage), I would say that 'information' is as good as any, and better than most.
Almost every word expresses it as the object of some verb. We could use the Greek word 'logos', As Heraclitus wrote and John the Evangelist repeated (about 400 years later), "In the beginning was the Logos." That word is logical.
And by the way, I do not consider the word 'myth' to be a derogatory term. Some of the most fundamental truths began as myths -- and they are transmitted in the most intelligible way in a literary presentation.
John
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From: Kingsley Idehen
Hi Nadin,
On 6/17/24 1:30 PM, Nadin, Mihai wrote:
Measurement: the dynamics of the measured affects the dynamics of the meter (this covers from measuring devices to sensorial perception and non-sensorial evaluations).
Rosen, R. 1978. Fundamentals of Measurement and representation of Natural Systems. New York :North-Holland
In this sense, observation is measuring.
The data is the outcome. The theory (based on thermodynamics) of how data is transmitted is Shannon’s contribution (with the unfortunate use of the word information as a substitute for data).
Mihai Nadin
Observation is basically existential quantification (measurement). i.e., that something exists with certain discernible attributes. Naturally, this is situation and observer oriented.
Kingsley