Information
Information is the most important attribute of consciousness. Many definitions of this concept can be summarized in two groups. One assumes its prerogative of consciousness, in what appears strong anthropic principle. For the fundamental category of being is not acceptable. There are many tautological masterpieces in this groups, such as "information - is information that ...". Another group is the next generation of semantic miscarriage, such as information - is "shaping". Search the contents of anything in the etymology of the term occupation for some, perhaps, exciting but hopeless, however, effectively reflecting the level of intelligence.
By submission of the concept of information as a fundamental category of being came close W.R. Ashby, according to which "information exists where there is diversity." Hence the information - is any inhomogeneity of the system.
Information and its mechanisms in Nature are strictly ordered due to the evolution of the hierarchy from the simplest (relatively) physical mechanisms have to exorbitant level of uncertainty of living systems. Upstairs hierarchical structure Nature put irrepressible human consciousness, in which different levels and grades presented information mechanisms all previous stages of development. These information tools and represent the diversity of levels of systemic organization. Accordingly clearing house living at the initial stage of life are quantum effects, reflecting the phenomenon of spontaneous reversible conformational dynamics of ultra-highfrequency hydration < > dehydration protein, the second stage of an information mechanism has a genetic basis, the third - neurophysiological, the fourth – neuropsychic, finally, the fifth - social. With this in accordance with the law of conservation of all subsequent evolutionary information mechanisms include both subsystems without exception evolutionarily preceding information mechanisms. This reflects the systemic content of the evolution.
These important characteristics of information such as quantity, quality, direction, size, speed, and many others are the subject of computer science and beyond the idea of this post.
On the horizon obviously a new amusing topic.