Can energy be programmed?

[Magical Realist]

Take light for example. How much information can a beam of light carry? Quite a bit actually. So as volatile as energy seems to be, it seems to retain a rigid enough structure to encode information and transmit that information across time and space. Could fields of energy be programmed to perform computations? Is there enough structure in a plasma field to process information about it's environment? We're talking "smart energy" here, one step beyond computronium or "smart matter". Might consciousness be nothing more than intelligent energy?

 

[andy1033]

What is your definition of intelligent energy? I think we can only answer if you describe more in depth what your term means.

Like can energy be intelligent without an observer if you will?

Is that the sort of thing you mean. Or do you mean the energy is carrying just static intelligence, or knowledge?

I think you have to define what your term meant.

 

[Magical Realist]

What is your definition of intelligent energy? I think we can only answer if you describe more in depth what your term means.

Like can energy be intelligent without an observer if you will?

Is that the sort of thing you mean. Or do you mean the energy is carrying just static intelligence, or knowledge?

I think you have to define what your term meant.

What I mean by intelligent energy is a dynamic system that can receive inputs from its environment, process that information, and output meaningful responses to its environment. Much as say a quantum supercomputer might be able to do. Energy would have to be able to store information for long periods of time such that it would have a knowledge base from which to process newly imputed information.

 

[billvon]

Could fields of energy be programmed to perform computations?

They need to be able to interact and they need to be able to control other fields, and that generally means matter. For example, a bunch of photons cannot perform computations - but put them on a substrate that allows photonic "switches" and that light could do a lot of computational work.

Is there enough structure in a plasma field to process information about it's environment?

Plasma is about the most unstructured state of matter there is! Imposing order on it would be difficult indeed.

 

[river]

Take light for example. How much information can a beam of light carry? Quite a bit actually. So as volatile as energy seems to be, it seems to retain a rigid enough structure to encode information and transmit that information across time and space. Could fields of energy be programmed to perform computations? Is there enough structure in a plasma field to process information about it's environment? We're talking "smart energy" here, one step beyond computronium or "smart matter". Might consciousness be nothing more than intelligent energy?

As far as a plasma field , it would be extremely difficult if not impossible

A plasma field is three dimensional , meaning that the further into the field you go the less the field is influenced by the outside enviroment

The field is extremely energenic , hence you would have to find any information , if any , on the extreme perimeter of the field

Tough to do , and what would you use to detect any info. ?

 

[kwhilborn]

Yes. It is right in front of you. The energy running through your computer is diverted in a myriad of ways through open and closed gates directed by a program. Any programming by mankind would need some manipulation of the energy so why not look at the obvious and then try to remove parts.

Even a beam of light needs some interference to carry info.