Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute?

Dominic Horsman; Viv Kendon; Susan Stepney; J. P. W. Young

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6

Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute?

Dominic Horsman, Viv Kendon, Susan Stepney, J. P. W. Young

Physics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Even the simplest known living organisms are complex chemical processing systems. But how sophisticated is the behaviour that arises from this? We present a framework in which even bacteria can be identified as capable of representing information in arbitrary signal molecules, to facilitate altering their behaviour to optimise their food supplies, for example. Known as Abstraction/Representation theory (AR theory), this framework makes precise the relationship between physical systems and abstract concepts. Originally developed to answer the question of when a physical system is computing, AR theory naturally extends to the realm of biological systems to bring clarity to questions of computation at the cellular level.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines
Editors	Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic, Raffaela Giovagnoli
Place of Publication	Cham, Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	91-116
Number of pages	26
ISBN (Electronic)	9783319437842
ISBN (Print)	9783319437828, 9783319829098
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2017

Publication series

Name	Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics
Publisher	Springer
Volume	28
ISSN (Print)	2192-6255
ISSN (Electronic)	2192-6263

Keywords

living organisms
chemical processing systems
Abstraction/Representation theory
AR theory

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6

Cite this

Horsman, D., Kendon, V., Stepney, S., & Young, J. P. W. (2017). Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute? In G. Dodig-Crnkovic, & R. Giovagnoli (Eds.), Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines (pp. 91-116). (Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics; Vol. 28). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6

Horsman, Dominic ; Kendon, Viv ; Stepney, Susan et al. / Abstraction and representation in living organisms : when does a biological system compute?. Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines. editor / Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic ; Raffaela Giovagnoli. Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2017. pp. 91-116 (Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics).

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Horsman, D, Kendon, V, Stepney, S & Young, JPW 2017, Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute? in G Dodig-Crnkovic & R Giovagnoli (eds), Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines. Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics, vol. 28, Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 91-116. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6

Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute? / Horsman, Dominic; Kendon, Viv; Stepney, Susan et al.
Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines. ed. / Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic; Raffaela Giovagnoli. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2017. p. 91-116 (Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics; Vol. 28).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

TY - CHAP

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AU - Kendon, Viv

AU - Stepney, Susan

AU - Young, J. P. W.

PY - 2017/9/1

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N2 - Even the simplest known living organisms are complex chemical processing systems. But how sophisticated is the behaviour that arises from this? We present a framework in which even bacteria can be identified as capable of representing information in arbitrary signal molecules, to facilitate altering their behaviour to optimise their food supplies, for example. Known as Abstraction/Representation theory (AR theory), this framework makes precise the relationship between physical systems and abstract concepts. Originally developed to answer the question of when a physical system is computing, AR theory naturally extends to the realm of biological systems to bring clarity to questions of computation at the cellular level.

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KW - chemical processing systems

KW - Abstraction/Representation theory

KW - AR theory

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DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9783319437828

SN - 9783319829098

T3 - Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics

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EP - 116

BT - Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines

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PB - Springer

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Horsman D, Kendon V, Stepney S, Young JPW. Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute? In Dodig-Crnkovic G, Giovagnoli R, editors, Representation and Reality in Humans, Other Living Organisms and Intelligent Machines. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 2017. p. 91-116. (Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-43784-2_6

Abstraction and representation in living organisms: when does a biological system compute?

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