Rathkopf, Charles (2017) What kind of information is brain information? [Preprint]

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Abstract

Nervous systems process information. This platitude contains an in- teresting ambiguity between multiple senses of the term “information.” According to a popular thought, the ambiguity is best resolved by reserv -ing semantic concepts of information for the explication of neural activity at a high level of organization, and quantitative concepts of information for the explication of neural activity at a low level of organization. This article articulates the justification behind this view, and concludes that it is an oversimplification. An analysis of the meaning of claims about Shannon information rates in the spiking activity of neurons is then developed. On the basis of that analysis, it is shown that quantitative conceptions of information are more intertwined with semantic concepts than they seem to be, and, partially for that reason, are also more philosophically interesting.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Rathkopf, Charles charles.rathkopf@gmail.com 0000-0001-8998-2220
Keywords:	Shannon information, spike rate, semantic information, neural function
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Neuroscience
Depositing User:	Dr. Charles Rathkopf
Date Deposited:	06 Sep 2017 18:50
Last Modified:	06 Sep 2017 18:50
Item ID:	13396
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Neuroscience
Date:	2017
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/13396

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