Definition [G]

As an example and leading into further consideration, what is the meaning of a sentence like “the keys are on the table”? Given the sample context where one needs to drive to the airport to pickup a returning spouse, yet the car will not start. One runs to a friendly neighbor’s place and as one is greeted, one asks “may I borrow your car to the airport to pick up my returning spouse. My car won’t start”. The neighbor replies “The keys are on the table”.

At first, one may interpret the sentence as simply explicitly meaning that the car keys are lying on some table that both parties know about, but, in fact, there is much more knowledge associated with the sentence, including things like:

“I know

• you are my neighbor friend whom I have known for many years
• where you live
• you have a valid driver permit
• we both have adequate insurances
• indeed your spouse is returning today
• you need my car to go to the airport to pick her up
• the weather is nice and that traffic should not be too bad
• you understand that the car is mine
• you will return it right after
• you are responsible for everything that happens to it and with it
• if you are not, I have much recourse including judiciary, GPS, video, laws that could allow me to sue the pants of your back
• when you return, we will have a BBQ together where your spouse can tell us about the trip

All considered you can borrow my car keys on the table!”

Not only can we see here that communicating knowledge is a powerful operation, as well as a multi-layered and intuitive process, but we can also see that security is naturally built into knowledge, quite unlike information.