Informational landscapes in art, science, and evolution

Abstract

An informational landscape refers to an array of information related to a particular theme or function. The Internet is an example of an informational landscape designed by humans for purposes of communication. Once it exists, however, any informational landscape may be exploited to serve a new purpose. Listening Post is the name of a dynamic multimedia work of art that exploits the informational landscape of the Internet to produce a visual and auditory environment. Here, I use Listening Post as a prototypic example for considering the creative role of informational landscapes in the processes that beget evolution and science. © Society for Mathematical Biology 2006.