ABSTRACT The existence of biological information systems is generally taken as given in discussions of their function. However, any theory of such systems must be considered incomplete unless it can also explain how the system comes to exist. This article describes the ways in which complex functional systems in general can be created through design, self-assembly and evolution. The differences and relationship between physical and informational entities, organization, processes and dimensionality are also discussed. Through comparison with information technologies, whose origins we understand, conclusions are drawn concerning the creation of functional biological neural networks: specifically, that this involves the self-assembly of information entities into a number of strongly emergent levels of organization. Finally, potential approaches are considered to overcome the hurdles to scientific investigation of emergent information-based systems and the processes by which they are created.

中文翻译：

---

信息系统的设计和自组装

摘要 生物信息系统的存在通常被认为是在讨论其功能时给出的。然而，任何关于此类系统的理论都必须被认为是不完整的，除非它也能解释系统是如何存在的。本文描述了通过设计、自组装和进化来创建复杂功能系统的方法。还讨论了物理和信息实体、组织、流程和维度之间的差异和关系。通过与我们了解的信息技术的起源进行比较，得出了关于创建功能性生物神经网络的结论：具体而言，这涉及将信息实体自组装成许多强烈涌现的组织层次。最后，