In "the West", before the cosmos was a computer it was a clock and before that it was an organism. Anybody else recognize problems?
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Yes.
But note what's actually being said here; instead of the over-reaching metaphors of the past: not that the universe IS a computer but rather (and much more modestly) that computation is a *part of* the natural workings of elements of the universe such as organisms.
Denning says as much in the quote you highlighted:
"Suppose that information processes already exist in nature, and the computer is our tool for studying them?"
There is a great deal more parsimony shown in this approach and, I'd argue, value.
Fusion also occurs in nature and I'm sure you'd agree it would be a mistake to declare the universe to metaphorically BE one immense fusion reactor. Still, we can confidently say that fusion is an important part of the universe's workings.
Which is the only sort of claim being made for natural computation.
Ian:
Suppose instead that information and computation are simply categories that are/will become Procrustean beds...
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Perhaps. Time will tell. But your assertion itself may turn out to be arbitrarily fixed.
.d.