The existence of the field and subject of informatics is unthinkable without its main resource - information. Information- one of the most difficult, not yet fully disclosed, even mysterious areas of modern science. Understanding information as one of the main strategic resources of society, it is necessary to be able to evaluate it both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. Along the way there are big problems due to the intangible nature of this resource and the subjectivity of the perception of specific information by various individuals of human society.
Term information comes from the Latin informatio, which means clarification, awareness, presentation. From the standpoint of materialistic philosophy, information is a reflection of the real world with the help of information (messages). A message is a form of information representation in the form of speech, text, images, digital data, graphs, tables, etc. In a broad sense, information is a general scientific concept that includes the exchange of information between people, the exchange of signals between animate and inanimate nature, people and devices.
Information is the result of reflection and processing in the human mind of the diversity of the surrounding world, it is information about the objects surrounding a person, natural phenomena of the activities of other people.
Informatics considers information as conceptually interconnected information, data, concepts that change our ideas about a phenomenon or object in the world. Along with information in computer science, the concept is often used data. Let's show you how they differ.
The data can be considered as signs or recorded observations, which for some reason are not used, but only stored. In the event that it becomes possible to use this data to reduce uncertainty about something, the data turns into information. Therefore, it can be argued that the information is the data used.
Existing in modern science definitions of information reveal certain properties of this complex and multi-valued concept: information is communication and communication, in the process of which uncertainty is eliminated (Shannon), information is the transfer of diversity (Ashby), information is a measure of the complexity of structures (Mol), information is the probability of choice (Yaglom) etc. Research is being undertaken on the regularities of information processes and technologies and the theoretical foundations of a new branch of knowledge - informatiology are being laid, where one of the authors states "The world is informational, the Universe is informational, the primary is information, the secondary is matter"
Information, which makes up the triad of the most important characteristics of the world around us, along with matter and energy, has some inherent features only to it:
information itself is just as abstract concept, like the concepts of mathematics, but at the same time it reflects the properties of a material object and cannot arise from nothing;
information has some properties of matter, it can be received, stored (recorded, accumulated), destroyed, transferred. However, when transferring information from one system to another, the amount of information in the transmitting system remains unchanged, although in the receiving system it usually increases (this feature of information saves a professor who transfers his knowledge to students from becoming an ignoramus),
information has another unique property in any sphere of knowledge (socio-political, scientific, general cultural, technical), it is the only type of resource that, in the course of the historical development of mankind, not only does not deplete, but constantly increases, improves and, moreover, contributes to the efficient use of other resources, and sometimes and creates new ones. The last property of information is important to take into account when shaping the development paths of the national economy of Russia, since the attraction of qualitatively new information and new technologies provides an intensive development path, and the accumulation of additional material resources, labor, energy without using new information will lead Russia to an extensive dead end.
The main thing is that information is an object, a means and a product of labor. Specific gravity information as an object of labor has become higher than material and energy resources, and the main indicator of the power of the country has become an information resource, i.e. the amount of knowledge that the country has. This indicator brought the USSR into the ranks of world powers, and it is this resource that is depleted in our country every year.
The world is drowning in a colossal amount of information over the past 30 years, its annual growth has increased by more than 15 times. There was even a new term - "the effect of waste paper" - 85% of journal articles have never been read. It is easier to rediscover something, scientists say, than to find the necessary information in this ocean of books, magazines and articles. At the beginning of the 1990s, the US government annually compiled about 1 billion letters, which cost about 1.5 billion dollars, published about 2.6 million pages of documents; up to 1,500 billion dollars were spent on the maintenance of employees employed in the administrative apparatus!
The most promising way out of the information impasse is provided by modern computer technology, which with each new generation increases the speed of information processing at an amazingly high rate, if over the past hundred years the speed of movement has increased 10 2 times, then the speed of communication has increased 10 7 , and information processing - 10 6 times.
Modern society generates new, previously unknown social problems associated with information. The process of "computer" alienation of a certain group of the population, the social division of society, is going on more and more intensively. Layers of "information aristocracy", a kind of brotherhood of initiates, "information proletariat" are formed, which include a large group of workers engaged in the technical support of information processes, and consumers of information services, in whose hands the information business is concentrated.
"Men in modern society feel the deepest loneliness, the Dalai Lama said while having tea with his old friend, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
We, living in the city, are always very busy. And even meeting each other regularly, we can remain just acquaintances for many years, which cannot be called true human intimacy. And when we have no one to turn to for help or support, we feel lonely.
Smile from loneliness
Sociologist Lynn Smith-Lovin conducted a study and found that the number of close friends most people have modern people dropped from three to two. We have hundreds of "friends" in in social networks, but real, really close friends are becoming less and less. Approximately one in ten participants in the mentioned study admitted that he had no friends at all.
“There is a much more developed sense of community in the village,” says the Dalai Lama. - When a problem arises of a personal or family nature, you know that you can turn to your neighbors for help. But even in cities with millions of people, we are responsible for each other, even if we don't know each other personally.
We all belong to the same human race. strangers can not be. It is worth seeing each other, looking into the face of any person, and we understand that we have a brother or sister in front of us. It doesn't matter if we know each other or not - you can always smile and say: "Hello."
We live in a consumer society. There is no place for love in the materialist's picture of the world. He only works twenty-four hours a day, like clockwork. And we gradually become parts of a huge moving machine.
human race
In Buddhism, there is a concept of human interdependence at all levels: social, personal, subatomic. Being born and dying, we are completely dependent on others, and the independence that we think we gain in the interval between birth and death is a myth.
- If you focus on secondary differences - nationality, religion, skin color - the difference between us will be very noticeable. As it is now in Africa, for example, where there is so much discord due to nationality. And people should just consider themselves an African nation. Not to mention the fact that everyone generally belongs to a single nation - human. The same with religions: Shiites and Sunnis, Christians and Muslims... We are all human beings. Religious differences are private. If the basis of perception is compassion for others as members of the same human species, we move to the primary level and forget about the differences of the second level. And you can empathize even with the enemy.
Everyone has the capacity for empathy. Scientists have discovered that man is by nature merciful. The problem is that at school they don’t teach to develop natural human qualities and the potential remains untapped.
Ubuntu
The need to share and take care of each other is inherent in us by nature. Losing the opportunity to interact, we fade away. This is partly why solitary confinement is the worst punishment. It is impossible to realize oneself without the participation of others, - Archbishop Tutu believes.
In South African philosophy there is such a thing - "ubuntu". It means that you can become a person only with the participation of other people. Ubuntu teaching says: "If I have a small piece of bread and I share it with you, it is for the benefit of me first of all." After all, even at birth, we were not alone. In order for us to be born, two people were needed. The Bible, the common book of Jews and Christians, tells a beautiful story. God says, "Adam, you don't have to be alone."
We are part of a single organism and can only be human beings together.
Alone or lonely?
We often do not feel alone when we are alone, but we are lonely in the company, in a crowd of unknown people or at a party with people we hardly know. Feeling cut off from the world and being alone are not the same thing. One can experience joy even when no one is around; but you can't enjoy life if you're lonely.
Monks spend a lot of time as recluses, are they lonely? Here is what the Dalai Lama said based on his experience:
- The monks are fenced off from material world Not only physically, but also spiritually. We cannot touch God directly; the only way to do this is to serve His children, that is, humanity. For this reason, monks are never truly lonely. Much depends on perception. If a person is angry and negatively evaluates reality, he will feel his isolation. This is inevitably followed by loneliness. But if his heart is open, full of trust and friendliness, even if he is all alone and prefers to be a hermit, he will never be lonely.
There are seven billion people in the world and an unlimited number of intelligent beings. If you remember this all the time, loneliness will never overtake you. Only love and kindness bring happiness. Only they give us strength and confidence, tame fears, teach trust, and it helps to establish friendships. We are social animals, we need cooperation to survive, but without trust there can be no cooperation. Trust unites individuals and entire nations. By developing generosity and the ability to empathize, we create a more positive and friendly atmosphere around us, we begin to see friends everywhere. If we are full of fear and distrust, people will keep their distance from us. They, too, will have a desire to be cautious, to be suspicious and incredulous. And then comes loneliness.
The paradox is that we think too much about ourselves and our problems because we want to become happier, but such obsession leads to the opposite result. If you focus too much on your person, communication with others is broken and alienation occurs. Moreover, as a result, a person is alienated from himself, since the need for connection with others is an integral part of our nature.
With an open heart
The Dalai Lama is sure that if you treat others with kindness and compassion, you will never be left alone. An open, kind heart conquers loneliness. It is amazing: today you walk down the street and perceive everything around critically and condemningly, you feel lonely and feel the abyss between yourself and the rest of the world, and tomorrow you walk along the same street with a more open heart and accept people as they are, empathize with them and you realize that today everyone seems friendly and welcoming. As if internal state mind and soul unrecognizable changes physical world and environment.
No one is looking for loneliness own initiative. No one will say: I want to feel alone. People just become like this for different reasons.
- We must treat everyone in such a way that he feels special, accept him for who he is, and help to open up. It's wonderful to see how previously closed people open up, how beautiful flower, in the rays of human kindness and acceptance, - said the archbishop.
Don't wait for others to open their hearts to you. Be the first to open up and you will feel the thread that connects you with people. And it doesn't matter where you are - on the top of a mountain or in the center of Moscow.
Post cover: illustration from the book.
What is the right way to live in modern world?
The modern world is very difficult: it has a lot of lies, cruelty and perversion. How should one live? What is the sense of life? How not to fall among all this?
The true meaning of life is in worship. "Live full life"," appreciate every day of your life, do not waste it on trifles "- these phrases we hear every day in society, on the pages of books and magazines. Books on psychology argue that only a person who takes the maximum from every day can be really happy.
While you are reading this sentence, the seconds of your life are slipping away irretrievably. They are gone forever. Even if you were willing to pay a lot of money to get back the time that has passed, you will not be able to do it. Life is wealth in the full sense of the word, it consists of a huge number of moments, all of which are priceless in themselves. The limitations of our lives make the idea of "living to the fullest" attractive to many. Some people even create a list of things they need to get done before they leave the world. And Hollywood makes a lot of money from films whose characters can defy death and add adrenaline to their lives. But in fact, attempts to catch up and increase our fleeting existence on this Earth will be in vain if we do not realize true meaning life. After all, why seek thrills, save money, conquer mountain peaks, go on a trip around the world, if you will eventually die? In order to live life to the fullest, perhaps you first need to understand why we are given life? Contrary to what many Hollywood producers direct us to the purpose of our existence, the meaning of life is summarized in a verse of the Qur'an:
I created jinn and humans only for them to worship Me (51:56).
Worship the Almighty, and nothing else. That is why we are given the opportunity to breathe and live life in all its glory. Whether our passion for art, the desire to accomplish the impossible, or to travel the world, our every action, large and small, is counted on one Almighty. That is why, when starting any business, we say "Bismillahirrahmanirrahim!" (In the name of Allah, the Gracious and the Merciful).
This article is one of the infrequent guest posts on my blog. I am very strict (more correctly: finicky) about the publication of other people's materials and post only really interesting things. Enjoy reading!
watch out for the waves
We are increasingly dependent on the variability of the world around us. We are not designed to move at speed thousand kilometers per hour, handle gigabytes abstract information. Our feelings and instincts have been formed at least a dozen centuries ago.
Therefore, our mood often depends on whether we managed to ride the wave or remained on the list of those who were covered by it. Our body, our instincts do not quite understand what is happening.
And what is the result? A person who is stupid in the Game with external circumstances becomes part of the external circumstances (EO) for the following players. External circumstances (EC), or rather their human components, is a set of those who lost their games or did not enter them.
Do you want to become these "VO"?
The choice to be or not to be them is carried out at almost every step we take.
So you come to the store and buy yourself a book for 200 rubles. Or the CEO of the company comes to the office and orders the purchase of a service network. Do you think that in the first case we are making a small purchase, so you don’t have to think too much?
It is not always so. Many famous people began to do what made them successful, practically by chance and sometimes in counterweight around the world. It's just that the world wants these people to be part of the system, to become VO. I just want to remember the blue and red pill ...
That is, for 200 rubles you can sell your life to the side ...
But how is it, you say. We live in comfort and coziness, we are the kings of nature!
Man seems to have come out of natural selection. And everyone does what he wants, watches TV, plays computer games ... And does not notice how he becomes a decoration. VO for other people.
Natural selection continues at the social and intellectual level. VO can easily become a dead end branch of evolution someday.
The fundamental conflict - the king of nature does not have time to change in the wake of his creations.
What's the solution?
Conclusion 1.
Become creative person. You need to be able to process information.
We write a bunch of literary reviews, essays and other nonsense. So what? Are we free like juvenile tomboys? Are we successful as bankers? Are we leaders? We're more like struggling fifth graders, in my opinion.
That is ... you can be saved not only and not so much by algorithms for processing information. But also new approaches to self-learning.
Conclusion 2.
We need to change our system of processing and searching for information. Maybe we only need a couple of tools.
Primary problem solved. We must act further. What to do first? What to change? In my opinion, two problems now stand in our way.
Problem 1.
Learning is easier if you teach well. This we understood. But a bright teacher and a deep scientist in one person is a rare phenomenon. And often valuable scientific material is difficult to digest due to poor presentation. The teacher can improve. But it also makes sense to teach a student (and even a school student) the optimal independent work with scientific and educational material.
Solution: The system of Arkady Petrovich Egides. This is Russian Tony Buzan, a more consistent, easy, academic version.
Without rejecting anything of value from the well-known psychological and pedagogical methods, we offer psychologically based methods in the matter of teaching, which we have united under the general name " logical-graphical modeling". This is a psychologically competent processing of texts into schemes. This will help to choose rational grains from a pile of scientific garbage. This will give a significant increase in the depth and breadth of knowledge, it will be a tool for effective creative thinking, this will ensure good memorization and reproduction of complex mental structures.
We will analyze in great detail, step by step, each technique in constructing a circuit (logical-graphical model) in the future.
It is important that concepts in the process of thinking figure in relationships with each other. These relationships can also be described in words. For example.
| Parameter name | Meaning |
| Article subject: | Modern world |
| Rubric (thematic category) | Politics |
The modern world is indeed contradictory. On the one hand, there are positive phenomena and trends. The nuclear missile confrontation between the great powers and the division of earthlings into two antagonistic camps are over. Many nations of Eurasia, Latin America and other regions, which had previously lived in conditions of lack of freedom, entered the path of democracy and market reforms.
Increasing pace is forming post-industrial society, ĸᴏᴛᴏᴩᴏᴇ radically rebuilds the entire way of life of mankind: advanced technologies are constantly updated, a single global information space is being born, a person with his high educational and professional level becomes the main spring of progress. International economic ties are deepening and diversifying.
Integration associations in various parts of the world are gaining more and more weight, turning into a significant factor not only in the world economy, but also in military security, political stability, and peacekeeping. The number and functions of international institutions and mechanisms in the UN system are growing, pulling humanity into one whole, promoting the interdependence of states, nations, people. There is a globalization of the economic, and after that political life humanity.
But just as obvious are phenomena and trends of a completely different order, provoking disunity, contradictions and conflicts. The entire post-Soviet space is going through a painful process of adaptation to new geopolitical, ideological and economic realities. The situation in the Balkans exploded after decades of calm, painfully
recalling the events that led to the outbreak of the First World War. Conflicts flare up on other continents. There are attempts to split the international community into closed military-political blocs, competing economic groups, competing religious and nationalist movements. The phenomena of terrorism, separatism, drug trafficking, and organized crime have reached planetary proportions. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continues, and environmental threats are on the rise.
Globalization, along with new opportunities for socio-economic progress and the expansion of human contacts, also creates new dangers, especially for lagging states. The risk of dependence of their economy and information system on outside influences is growing. The likelihood of large-scale financial and economic crises is growing. Natural and man-made disasters are becoming global in nature, and the ecological imbalance is aggravated. Many problems are spinning out of control, outstripping the ability of the world community to respond to them in a timely and effective manner.
The fact that a new, stable system of international relations has not yet taken shape exacerbates friction and contradictions. In this regard, in the scientific and political environment, alarmist scenarios for the development of world politics are born and become widespread - they predict, in particular, clashes between civilizations (Western, Chinese, Islamic, East Slavic, etc.), regions, the rich North and the poor South, even the total collapse of states and the return of humanity to its primitive state are predicted.
There are, however, reasons to believe that in the XXI century. sovereign states will remain the main actors on the world stage, and life on earth will continue to be determined by the relationship between them. States will continue to cooperate or compete in accordance with their interests, which are complex, multifaceted, diverse and do not always coincide with civilizational, regional and other vectors. Ultimately, the capabilities and positions of states will continue to be based on their combined power.
TO today only one superpower survived: the United States, and it begins to seem to many that an era of unlimited American domination of "Paque America-on" is coming. The United States undoubtedly has reason to claim the role of the most powerful center of power in the long term. Οʜᴎ have accumulated an impressive economic, military, scientific, technical, information and cultural potential, which is projected onto all the main spheres of life in the modern world. At the same time, America has a growing desire to lead others. The American official doctrine proclaims the existence of a US zone of influence in the world (the so-called core zone), which is supposed to eventually include the vast majority of states. The United States is favored in this policy by the fact that alternative social models (socialism, a non-capitalist path of development) are depreciated at this stage, have lost their attractiveness, and many countries voluntarily copy the United States and accept its leadership.
However, the world will not become unipolar. First of all, the United States does not have enough financial and technical resources. Moreover, the unprecedented protracted recovery of the American economy will not last forever, it will sooner or later be interrupted by a depression, and this will inevitably diminish Washington's ambitions on the world stage. Secondly, there is no unity in the United States in matters of foreign strategy, voices are clearly heard against overloading the United States with international obligations, interfering in anything and everything. Thirdly, there are states that not only resist American influence, but are capable of being leaders themselves. This is, first of all, China, which is rapidly gaining aggregate state power, in the longer term - India, possibly a united Europe, Japan. At some stage, ASEAN, Turkey, Iran, South Africa, Brazil, etc. can make an application for leadership on a regional scale.
As for Russia, despite the difficulties it is experiencing, it does not intend to enter the zone of foreign influence. Moreover, our state has the necessary potential to gradually turn into a prosperous and respected center of power in a multipolar world - this is a huge territory, and colossal natural, scientific, technical and human resources, and profitable geographical position, and military power, and traditions, and the will to lead, and, finally, the demand for Russia as an influential power in different regions the globe(CIS, Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America).
The movement towards multipolarity is a real and natural process, because it reflects the will of established or prospective centers of power. At the same time, the transitional period, being associated with a struggle for influence, with a change in the balance of power, is fraught with conflicts. There are no guarantees that rivalry between major powers and associations of states will automatically disappear after the formation new system international relations. It is known from history that the multipolar system created as a result of the First World War did not prevent the unleashing of a new, even more destructive conflict two decades later.
No one knows how the new centers of power will behave in the 21st century, feeling their own superiority. Their relations with medium and small countries may well continue to carry a charge of conflict due to the latter's unwillingness to submit to someone else's will. This can be seen in the current US relations with North Korea, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, and so on. It is also characteristic that even those countries that voluntarily enter the zones of influence of centers of power are much more energetic in defending their rights than in the era of ʼʼ cold warʼʼ. Thus, the Europeans are still ready to cooperate with the United States, but at the same time they are strengthening regional institutions, thinking about purely continental defense efforts, refusing to "march to the American drums" in all matters. Many differences and disagreements exist between Washington and its partners in Latin America, Middle East, Southeast Asia. There are problems in the relations of China, Russia, Japan, India with their smaller neighbors.
Another reality of the modern world, which will obviously remain in the 21st century, is the contradictions between the medium and small states themselves. After the end of the Cold War, their number even increased due to the elimination of the former bloc discipline, when the superpowers kept their wards "in check", the absence of regional leaders in a number of regions of the globe (primarily in Africa and the Middle East), the collapse of the USSR and Yugoslavia.
Mankind enters the new millennium with the burden of numerous territorial, religious-ethnic, ideological disputes. Conflicts, as before, can give rise to such motives as the struggle for resources, ecology, migration, refugees, terrorism, possession of nuclear weapons, etc.
hallmark current era is the presence of a significant number of states that are experiencing serious internal difficulties. Moreover, as the recent financial crisis in Asia showed, dynamic economic systems. The threat to stability in the state may come from political system- both totalitarian, sooner or later doomed to collapse, and democratic. Rapid democratization gave free rein to various destructive processes: from separatism to racism, from terrorism to the breakthrough of mafia structures to the levers of state power. It is also clear that even in the most developed countries knots of religious and ethnic contradictions remain. At the same time, internal problems are increasingly breaking out beyond state borders, invading the sphere of international relations. Despite, however, the high potential for conflict remaining in the modern world, there is still reason to look into the 21st century. with a certain optimism. Inspires him, first of all, the already mentioned growing interdependence of states. Gone are the days when large countries struggled to bleed each other. Russia does not want the US economy to collapse or unrest to spread throughout China. In both cases, our interests will suffer. Chaos in Russia or China will hit America equally.
The interdependence of the modern world will continue to grow under the influence of factors such as:
the accelerating revolution in the means of transport and communications, in microelectronics;
the ever more complete inclusion in world relations of the former communist countries, as well as the PRC, the states of the ʼʼthird worldʼʼ, which have abandoned the non-capitalist path of development;
unprecedented liberalization of world economic relations and, as a result, deepening of interaction between the national economies of most states;
internationalization of financial and production capital (now transnational corporations control 1/3 of the assets of all private companies);
general tasks humanity to counter the growing threats of a global nature: terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, nuclear proliferation, famine, environmental disasters.
The internal development of any state now depends on the external environment, support and assistance of other "players" on the world stage, in this regard, globalization, with all its flaws, "pitfalls", dangers, is preferable to the complete disunity of states.
The mitigation of contradictions in the international arena should be facilitated by democratization, which has covered a significant part of the planet. States that adhere to similar ideological attitudes have fewer grounds for mutual contradictions and more possibilities their peaceful overcoming.
The cessation of the arms race between the "superpowers" and their blocs, the realization of the danger of a reckless buildup of nuclear missile potential contribute to the demilitarization of the world community. And this is a factor that also works for harmonization. international relations.
Reasons for optimism are also provided by the fact that in the era of globalization the system international law, its norms are increasingly recognized. Most modern states subscribe to such concepts as renunciation of aggression, peaceful resolution of conflicts, obedience to the decisions of the UN Security Council and other international institutions, combating racism, respect for the rights of peoples and human rights, elective governments, their accountability to the population, etc. .
Finally, another heritage of mankind on the threshold of the XXI century. is the already mentioned growth of the system of global and regional organizations which have a mandate to deepen interaction between states, prevent and resolve conflicts, and carry out collective action on political and economic issues etc. The UN is a universal forum that is gradually able to evolve towards becoming a kind of world government.
If this trend continues, then there is hope that the power politics and unbridled rivalry of states will begin to recede into the background.
Modern world - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Modern World" 2017, 2018.
