Module Identifier |
PH19510 |
Module Title |
CHAOS, COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSCIOUSNESS |
Academic Year |
2001/2002 |
Co-ordinator |
Dr Andrew Evans |
Semester |
Semester 2 |
Other staff |
Professor Neville Greaves, Mr Martyn Jones |
Pre-Requisite |
None - module is highly suitable for non Physics students |
Co-Requisite |
None |
Mutually Exclusive |
None |
Course delivery |
Lecture | 22 lectures |
Assessment |
Course work | /Tests | 30% |
|
Exam | 2 Hours end of semester examination | 70% |
Module objectives / Learning outcomes
After taking this module students should be able to:
-
Follow the development of ideas attempting to unravel the complexities of the natural world, from the deterministic universe to chaotic systems.
-
Understand how human communication has evolved into today's global networks and the information superhighway.
-
Relate the brain, the mind and consciousness to complex artificial entities and networks.
Outline syllabus
Communication:
History of Telecommunications
Pre-electronic communications
Telegraphy and Telephony
Radio and digital signals
The Internet
Information Storage
Electronic Processing
Chaos:
Before Chaos
What is Chaos?
Examples of Chaos
Dynamics and Stability
Fractals
Consciousness:
What is consciousness?
Enabling technology for a scientific description of consciousness
Sceintific revolutions affecting human consciousness
Geography of the human brain
Psychology or information transfer?
Artificial intelligence
The future
Additional learning activities
Introductory skills for using the Internet and other electronic sources of information
Brief description
This module reviews the factors responsible for the recent global information explosion, funnelled through the world wide communications network, and includes an introduction to planning and the business environment. Against this backcloth the new science of Chaos is finding applications: from understanding the spread of disease, to modelling the dynamics of the Stock Market and replicating the topology of the snow flake. Communication and Chaos are the twin driving forces of intelligent life where they are finding a new foothold in meeting the challenge of putting consciousness into the arena. Much is known about the electricity in the mind but practically nothing about how this supports awareness and personal identity.
Reading Lists
Books
** Recommended Text
E. Schrodinger.
What is Life: Mind and Matter. Cambridge ISBN 0521427088
H. Rheingold.
Virtual Reality. Mandarin ISBN 0671778978
J. Bray.
The Communications Miracle: the telecom poineers from Morse to the Information Superhighway. Plenum ISBN 0306450429
D. Peterson.
Audio, Visual and Data Communication. McGraw-Hill ISBN 0077074270
S.J. Gould.
Ever since Darwin. Penguin ISBN 0393308189
P. Teihard de Chardin.
The Phenomenon of Man. Fontana/Collins
J. Gleick.
Chaos. Abacus ISBN 043429554X
R. Penrose.
The Emperor's new mind. Vintage ISBN 0198519737
D. Ruelle.
Chance and Chaos. Penguin ISBN 0140171088