HUMAN AS A NATURAL PART of a global information system. Communication, practical application, algorithm.
Vaidotas Matutis, Marijus Grigola; 2014
Natural information systems were examined in the previous work [6], and it was determined what information on the background of natural information systems is, and what information and what information processes constitute a man. This time, by examining ourselves, we offer to take a slightly deeper look on the information system of a man and examine information processes, taking place there. Moreover, it has been tried to search for ways of practical application of the data of theoretical reflections.
Full version in Russian: http://gisap.eu/node/49208
Original article in Lithuanian: http://matutis.eu/zmogus-kaip/
Key words: algorithm, information, genes, program, emotions, disability, physiology, nature, man, coding, decoding, transformation, information transfer, reaction, need, thinking, hearing, sight, sound, image, death, birth, imagination, panic, human modeling.
The aim of the work
To analyze the processes of information transfer, occurring during a communication between people on the background of natural information systems. To suggest considering a principle of operation of an algorithm, according to which, a program of the information system of a person works. To formulate definitions about the meanings of thinking, perception, imagination, and needs on the background of natural information systems. To outline the possibilities of a practical application of the research results.
Communication
Communication between people plays an important role during the whole life of a person. Accordingly, it is worth trying to understand how two human information systems interact with each other (Picture No. 1) and what information processes occur during communication (Picture No. 2).
It is obvious that one man can communicate with another only through a natural environment and only with the help of a physiological environment. A direct connection between people can be called telepathy. The existence of such a connection, however, has been little studied.
We suggest considering what happens during a conversation. At first, there are impulses formed in the control system of the Man 1, which through the nerve wires approach the corresponding elements of the physiological environment: vocal cords, tongue, lungs, facial muscles, etc. The mentioned elements of the physiological environment transform these signals to the signals of a natural environment. When reaching the corresponding elements of the physiological environment of the Man 2 (auditory organs, eyes) the signals of the natural environment trigger a reaction there, which turns the signal into impulses transmitted by the nerve wires into the control system of the Man 2, where the mentioned signal is being identified. The identified signal in the control system of the Man 2 triggers a reaction and provides a response, which reaches Man 1 in the same manner and in the same ways as the signal from Man 1 to Man 2 (Picture No. 2)
Let us consider the following example. Man 1 felt a need to say something to Man 2 (Picture No. 2). Let us see what happens in this case. We suggest doing that by applying the following steps:
1. Man 1 felt a need to say something to Man 2. That is, an internal impulse in the control system of Man 1, which has a direction towards the outside, appears there. However, those are not the words yet, by which everything will be told. For example, Man 1 still does not know which words he/she will use to tell something.
2. Coding. This is the first transformation of information. Inner impulses transform into outgoing impulses. With the help of the speech-coding system, the mentioned inner impulses transform into impulses that by means of nerve cords enter the corresponding elements of a physiological environment. In this case: vocal cords, a tongue, lungs, facial muscles, and the like. A set of these coded nerve impulses, delivering specific information can be already called a word. But it has not been pronounced yet.
3. Reaction. The second transformation of information.
Impulses transform into movement. The impulses of a coded word, by exerting influence upon the corresponding elements of the physiological environment force them to move. This is how the movement of speech organs takes place.
4. Signal. The third transformation of information. The movement of speech organs transforms into signals of the natural environment. In this case, into sound. All in all, the movement of the corresponding elements of the physiological environment must transform into such signals of the surroundings, which, by reaching the corresponding elements of the physiological environment of Man 2, would provoke them. In this case, it is auditory receptors that must be provoked. When the mentioned signal appears, it can be said that the word has already been uttered.
5. Reaction. The fourth transformation of information. The signals of a natural environment transform into the movement of the corresponding elements of a physiological environment of Man 2. In this case, the sound makes the endolymph vibrate [4].
6. Impulse. The fifth transformation of information. Movements transform into impulses. In Man 2, the vibration of the endolymph forces the vocal receptors to generate nerve impulses, which are transformed to the control system of Man 2 by nerve cords. That is the central nervous system of Man 2.
7. Decoding. The sixth transformation of information. The incoming impulses transform into the inner impulses of the control system of Man 2. This means that the impulses, incoming to the control system, decode in accordance with the learned speech-decoding system. The following impulses will be recognized only if they already have their own equivalents in the control system. For example, if a person does not know the uttered word, then the two people would not understand each other. However, all information signals sent from Man 1 to Man 2, have perfectly reached the control system of the Man 2. Wishing to transfer information in such a way, it is necessary for the both persons to know the language. Moreover, the same words must have the same equivalent in the both control systems. That is, both persons have to understand the meaning of a word in the same way. Otherwise, there might be a misunderstanding.
8. The decoded impulses in the control system create a reaction that determines the further actions of Man 2. Maybe, there appeared a desire to say something in response, to nod one’s head or take other actions. If Man 2 decides to say something in response, this information must once again cross the same long path.
We can see that the transmitted information can change its carrier even six times. Every time at the moment of transformation, information might be distorted. The problem of accuracy of the transmitted information may sometimes be one of the main reasons that determines the lack of understanding between people.
For example, inadequate communication skills. Impulses, coming from the control system will not exactly correspond to what the person wants to tell. Words, intonation, tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, etc. have not been exactly selected. In the following step information might be distorted due to the properties and condition of the physiological environment. Moreover, noise, visibility, and distance also influence the transmitted information. The condition of the auditory organs or the eyesight of the other person also play an important role. Finally, the recognition of information entering the control system, must be approximately the same for both speakers. The meaning of the uttered words must be understood approximately in the same way by both speakers. Otherwise, people will not understand each other; or there will be a misunderstanding; which might even provoke a conflict. Even though, there might be no disagreements between them at all. In this way the detailed scheme of transmitting information from person to person provides an opportunity to better understand and evaluate the accuracy and precision of the transmitted information. With the help of the following scheme it is possible to work in details the reasons of inaccuracy and distortions of the transmitted information. When knowing the mentioned reasons, one can form an effective method of preventing or eliminating them.
Practical application
In this work, a person is viewed as an information system. What is important for practice and what is the meaning of such theoretical considerations? Let us try to partially answer these questions.
With the appearance of a new approach, new ways of dealing with old problems also appear. With a new look on a person, there can appear many such methods and in different areas. One of the issues of the day is the problem associated with physical human disabilities that create a lot of inconveniences for some people.
Disabilities associated with limitations of information transfer from the physiological environment (human body) to the person’s control system (information system of a person) and vice versa, bring considerable discomfort. Such disabilities are particularly blindness and deafness.
First of all, it can be noted that information, incoming to the control system with the help of nerve impulses, is only information. This means that information, incoming to the control system, about a visible image is only information, but in no case the image itself. It is similar with the sound. The incoming information about the sound is only information, but not the sound itself. By the way, a person should have learned to identify this information about the image and the sound in his infancy, as no one is born already being able to recognize and use this information. If a person is treated from the mentioned inborn disabilities, in order to see or hear, he/she will need to learn that first [1]. Not until such a person learns to, he/she will not be able to understand neither the image, nor the sound. Thus, it is possible to state that for people neither the image, nor the sound exist. There is only information about the image and the sound.
A question arises. What is the difference: information about the image or the image, information about the sound or the sound?
The essence of the below considered reflections lies in this notion of the difference.
If we receive not the image, but only information about the image – it means that we can receive that information not only from the receptors of our eyes, but from other receptor of other organs. The only thing necessary is that this information, sent by other receptors, should be about the image. It can be achieved by existing technological means.
Information about the image can be obtained by various means. This information might not be as complete, as information received from the receptors of our eyes, but it is much better than being completely blind. In some cases one will have to re-learn to identify such information. It was necessary to learn to identify information from the eyes, even though we do not remember that, as we learned to do that in infancy.
As a matter of fact, is a blind man completely blind? Strange as it seems, but a blind man sees in one’s own way. Thought, the eyesight of a blind man a little bit differs from that of the sighted.
For example, the blind, as well as the sighted, also play chess. How do they see the board? It turns out that they see the board with their fingers no worse than the sighted who see with their eyes. It is an obvious proof that one can see not only with one’s eyes. One can obtain the same information about the location of pieces on the board not only with the help of one’s eyes, but with the help of fingers as well.
When knowing about the possibility to obtain information about the image by using one’s fingers, we can ponder about how to use this possibility. By assessing current technical opportunities, it would have been not so difficult to offer the blind such a device that would transform the image around the blind into an embossed surface on a special surface of the mentioned device. Thereby, the blind would have been able to obtain information about what is happening around. With the help of such a device, a blind person would have been able to move freely. One would have been able to “see” the appearing obstacles, the people, the cars passing by, and many other things.
That is only one of the possibilities.
Another possibility is to obtain information about the image through the auditory organs. A good example of an existing application is the car parking system. When parking one’s car, this system gives an auditory signal, which informs the driver about the proximity of an obstacle. A driver might not even see those obstacles with one’s eyes, but, nevertheless, one will know about their existence and even about the distance.
Another example, which allows to “see” with one’s ears is a metal detector. A submarine has an ultrasonoscope, which also allows to obtain information with the help of one’s hearing. And so on.
Therefore, in the search for the possibilities to “see” not with one’s eyes, hearing also plays an important role.
There are many examples in nature as well. A bat orients in space with the help of hearing. It does not need eyes in order to fly. A snake finds it way and food with the help of a tongue. Some beetles are guided by means of their feelers. And so on.
Once again this proves that eyes are not the only condition in order to see. Hence, we can make a conclusion that by using modern technologies it is possible to greatly alleviate the fate of the blind.
The situation is similar with the deaf. It is possible to transfer information about the sounds to the control system of a person not only by using auditory organs. One example is the translation into sign language. Thus, a deaf person is able to “hear”.
The deaf can be also offered a number of technical solutions to their problem. For example, if one turned sound vibrations in the air into vibrations felt by one’s skin, into weakly felt electric impulses or into a blinking light, a deaf person would have been also able to obtain information. Only a technological solution to this problem is needed.
An existing example can be mentioned here, when deaf children are trying to “listen to” music with the help of the vibration from the speakers. They stand in front of a powerful speaker, where felt airflows come from the loudspeaker. Accordingly, they acquire a chance to feel the sound. When knowing about such aspirations of the deaf, why not to make an appropriate device, which would allow to get such feelings?
The simplest device, for example, could have been a vibrating bracelet or something similar. It could be quite difficult to distinguish words with the help of such a device, but the deaf will be able to “hear” when someone enters the room, when a car is passing by outside, or when someone calls one by name. A deaf person could finally “hear” how his name is pronounced. It would have been possible to listen to music, as with the help of this device one would have been able to feel the rhythm.
The deaf can not pronounce an orderly sound, because they do not know how it sounds. With the help of the above mentioned device, even the deaf would be able to try to tell something, when knowing how their voices sound.
The mentioned methods are intended for people with physical disabilities and for those who require special devices. Moreover, it is possible to offer not so highly complicated methods intended to help a wider range of people.
For example, there are times when extraneous noises hamper one’s rest or sleeping. In such cases it is possible to offer a more simple device. The purpose of such a device is to create a monotonous noise that would prevent the notional information from getting into a person’s control system. As it is exactly this notional information that hampers the human brain to rest.
The construction of the offered device is quite simple. The device only needs to create a monotonous noise, the volume of which would have been possible to adjust according to the circumstances and needs. It is desirable if there was a possibility to regulate the frequency parameters of the uttered sound, as the corresponding frequencies themselves causedrowsiness. Such frequencies are different for different people. That is why an adjustment is required. With the help of such a device, it would be possible to treat insomnia. To do this, it would be necessary to pick the corresponding frequencies.
Moreover, the current situation in the field of mobile phones can greatly simplify the creation of the above mentioned and similar devices. One only needs to find a mechanical solution of the device, while the electronic, software part can be accomplished with the help of mobile phones, by setting in them a specially prepared computer program.
It is obvious that the theoretical reflection, by examining a person as a natural information system, might have a useful practical application. The above mentioned sentences is only a small part compared to what might be expected in this area of research. One can come up with the above mentioned ideas without the proposed theoretical study, but this would have been by a fluke. While with the help of the proposed theory, everything falls into place and creates an augmented mosaic of the human essence.
Algorithm of a person’s information system
By more thoroughly exploring a person on the background of the natural information systems, and by seeking to find out according to which principles the behavior, movement and action are formed, there appears a need for an algorithm of a person’s information system. Algorithmis a successive action system of information processes. By having the initial data, the algorithm allows to obtain the desired result. The result in our case is human action.
Human action – is a way to directly or indirectly satisfy one’s needs.
Nothing happens without a reason. This expression also applies to a person. If there is a need – then actions are also possible. If there are no needs – then there will be no actions. (Picture No. 3) [1] Altruism and self-sacrifice are also determined by needs. A person is created in such a way, that his needs disappear only when a person dies. While a person is alive, one is always influenced by needs. Therefore, while a person is alive, he is constantly in action. For example, a person breathes all the time – it is a willed action. A heart beats continuously – an involuntary action. And so on.
Such actions as thinking, learning, communication, etc. are preparatory or intermediate actions. With the help of preparatory actions a person prepares oneself to be ready to satisfy one’s needs. For example, a person studies in order to have a job in future, and earn money necessary for the satisfaction of one’s needs. With the help of intermediate actions a person creates a reaction of the surrounding people or prepares an environment around oneself, which would help him to satisfy one’s needs. For example, a person asks to put the bread closer to him, as from one’s place, when sitting at a big table, he/she can not get it.
Human actions are coordinate by the control system, owing to which a man functions as a single mechanism. A person’s control system is comprised of two parts – a passive and an active one. The passive part controls involuntary processes of an organism – heart beat, constriction of a pupil of the eye, the secretion of hormones, and so on. The active part of a person’s control system processes information, received from the outside of a person, and by evaluating information, received from the physiological environment, forms meaningful movements, the totality of which is the behavior of a person. This information process in the human perception is manifested in the form of the mind, consciousness, intelligence, emotions, feelings, etc.
Thus, we have come to a point, when it is time to begin analyzing the algorithm of the information program of the active part of a person’s control system. This means that we are going to reveal the program, by which nature programmed an information system of a person. It should be emphasized that the process of programming is unfinished to this day. It successfully continues in the form of evolution. Who knows what a man is going to be like after a couple tens of millions of years? We have what we have; thus, we are going to consider what we have and leave the guessing of the future to science fiction.
The algorithm, presented for consideration, shows only the principle of action itself. The information system of a person has not been analyzed in full. The analysis of the principle of action opens up the possibilities to try to delve into certain parts of the system in future (Picture No. 4.).
We can identify the parts of the following algorithm that show the beginning (the birth), the introduction of needs, the selection and modeling of situations, action, panic zone, and death zone.
Beginning is the birth of a person.
The introduction of needs. In this part of the algorithm, the physiological environment of a person introduces a task into the program, which in psychology is referred to as a need. At birth, the human program is activated by a first need. The first need is a physiological need for air, which makes a person breath. At first, there is no information about how one should satisfy this need. A physical body needs oxygen. The program activates the panic zone, with the help of which, an instinctive action is being performed and forces the baby to cry, thus making its first gulps of air. After taking a breath the baby feels relieved. This means that after starting to breath, the need for oxygen is reduced, since this need is being satisfied. Therefore, the first amount of information is being written to the information system of a person, and it will be used with every need for oxygen.
Theselection and modeling of situationsis a place of an algorithm, where information, accumulated by a person, is being processed. When exposed to these information processes, new phenomena, which we understand as experience, imagination, and thinking, become apparent.
Experience is a set of accumulated situations in the memory of a persona, designed to satisfy various needs. When a need appears, the system begins to search for a similar situation, with the help of which the following need was satisfied in the past. Then, being guided by the found situation, corresponding actions will be implemented.
Situation is information, stored in the mechanism of information storage of a person, about the actions, intended for the satisfaction of a certain need. A person might have a great number of such situations. These situations suggest the man what to do, how to behave under certain circumstances, or under the influence of some needs.
If a person, under the influence of a need, manages to find a needed situation in one’s memory, being guided by this information he/she take appropriate actions. If these actions are a cause of satisfaction and a reduction of this need, then this situation is being updated with new details, and remains until the appearance of the same need under similar circumstances in future.
If it is not possible to find a situation in one’s memory, or after the fulfillment of actions of a wrongly chosen situation the need is not being satisfied, then we return to the original position of an algorithm, where the situation is not yet found. In this case, the modeling of a situation takes place. This process is understood by a person as thinking. We shall call a part of an algorithm, where the following process takes place, a zone of thinking.
Thinking is an information process, during which it is resolved whether the problem was included into the program, and what actions should be taken to satisfy the appearing needs.
The level of thinking composes four elements that act simultaneously and exhibit:
– the formation of new situations with the help of the information already available,
– a search for the missing information,
– a comparison and reckoning of information,
– actions base don the newly formed situations.
The following elements show characteristics to work together, supplementing one another at the same time.
During the formation of a new situation with the help of the already available information, a phenomenon, which is understood by a person as imagination, emerges.
Imagination is a projection of the proposed actions and results of a newly formed situation in the perception of a persona. The following projection sometimes presents an illusory assessment of the results of proposed actions. Not always does the following assessment reflect the reality.
Perception is an effect of the totality of information processes of a person, which takes part in the bringing up of goals and determines ways of implementing them. During the mentioned information processes, an effect, which a person understands as one‘s own mind, becomes apparent.
A human possibility to compare and see oneself in situations, observed from the side or that involve other people, becomes apparent in the part, where comparison and reckoning of information are shown.
If, while analyzing the algorithm, it is possible to notice that by performing actions and being guided by a new situation, which was formed with the help of the thinking zone, the need is being satisfied or reduced, and then this new situation is placed into the long-term human memory as being suitable for use.
If in the level of thinking one is unable to form a situation, while the need is further increasing, then a panic zone, which forces the level of thinking to use more resources at the expense of suppressing other less important needs, is being attached. The panic zone is being activated with the appearance of needs, the dissatisfaction of which, threatens human existence. The following needs include physiological needs, and sometimes a need for being safe…
The effect of the panic zone is understood by a person as a sense of threat. The faster the mentioned dissatisfied needs increase, the stronger is the influence of the panic zone. Under certain circumstances, the panic zone might use the maximum resources, found in a person.
A constantly increased activity of the panic zone can cause mental disorders and even suicide.
When the panic zone no longer helps and physiological needs reach a critical level, death zone is being activated. The end of an algorithm is found in the death zone, and is perceived as a physical death of a person. Under the influence of the death zone, a person may begin acting recklessly, instinctively, he might experience convulsions and so on.
A person can stay in the death zone only for a limited period of time. If the situation does not change, if nothing and no one helps the person, eventually the physiological environment of a person ceases to function and comes death. For example, if a person has choked, it means that one was unable to satisfy one‘s physiological need for oxygen. It is the same with the corresponding needs that are not satisfied, when a person is dying of thirst or hunger, is freezing, dying from malnutrition or from different diseases and so on.
In this case, if a need, which influenced the panic zone to be involved, no longer increases, a suppression of the following need begins. Accordingly, when one fails to satisfy the following need and in the absence of a threat to the human survivability, a certain condition becomes apparent, when a person decides to put off the satisfaction of the following need until circumstances change, or until new information appears, with the help of which it would be possible to renew the satisfaction of a suppressed need.
A need, which acquired a status of being suppressed, increases the psychological stress that collects a part of the energy used, slows down the work of the level of thinking and creates a sense of discomfort.
A man is not able to control the appearance of the panic and death zones. The appearance of needs that cause the mentioned zones to act, does not depend on a person‘s views, thinking, desires, or knowledge. The appearance of the panic and death zones depends only on the characteristics and conditions of a physiological environment of a man, including those that appear in the form of instincts.
A person, who lies in a social environment, has no possibility to avoid the suppression of some instincts. One must not forget, however, that in spite of everything they do exist and a person is forced to constantly balance between what one wants and what is acceptable.
Taking into account the following statements, one can begin to classify and work out in detail the needs, according to the kind of impact suppression has on the health with a purpose of socialization. By classifying a need in such a way, one can better watch over the suppressed needs, and avoid making damage to one‘s health, at the same time helping a person to remain a true member of society.
Otherwise, an uncontrollable suppression of some needs might lead to serious consequences, such as all kinds of mental disorders, diseases, psychological abnormalities, alcoholism, suicide, etc.
By analyzing the algorithm, one can notice that there is a law of cause and consequence that takes plane in the information system of a persona. Needs are considered to be the cause of action of a person‘s information system:
– Physiological needs become a reason to stay alive and give birth to descendants.
– A need for safety – to avoid all kinds of dangers.
– A need for belonging and love becomes a reason for socialization.
– Cognitive needs become a reason of progress. And so on.
As it has already been mentioned, the suggested original version of an algorithm shows only the very principle of action of a person’s information system. This means that if one desires to work it out in a more detailed way, careful research, experiments that confirm or refute the appearing findings, creation of a new theoretical framework, software modeling, mathematical description of accessories, and much more is needed. The given algorithm is a quite spacious direction of the human investigations, which can be associated with almost all areas of science: psychology, physiology, medicine, biophysics, physics, information technologies, mathematics, chemistry, etc.
A technological solution of a person’s information system, formed in nature, is to be analyzed in the following words.
Conclusions
The presented scheme of transmitting information from one man to another gives one a possibility to better understand and assess the accuracy and precision of the information transmit. With the help of the following scheme it is possible to work out in detail the causes of inaccuracies and deviations of the transmitted information. By knowing the causes of inaccuracies, one can form an effective method of prevention or elimination.
There have been a number of methods offered of the practical application of such theoretical reflections, with the help of which it is possible to alleviate a part of inconveniences to people with physical disabilities.
Definitions about what experience, thinking, imagination, and perception are on the background of natural environment, have been formulated.
The presented program algorithm of a person’s information system provides a possibility to look deeper into the information processes, taking place in a man. The working out in details of a person’s information processes also provides a possibility to improve the development of artificial intelligence, by advancing the beginning of the modeling of a person’s information processes with the help of modern information technologies.
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