What are information in physical systems?

Information in physical systems is like secrets hidden inside everyday things that help them do their jobs.

Imagine you have a toy box full of different toys, cars, blocks, and dolls. Each toy has its own special secret, or kind of information, that tells it how to move or play. A car knows how to roll because of the way its wheels are made, just like a block knows how to stack because of its shape.

Think of your favorite toy, maybe a robot that dances when you press a button. The information inside it is like instructions stored in its brain. When you press the button, those instructions tell the robot what moves to make.

Now imagine you have two robots: one knows only how to spin in circles, and another knows how to dance the waltz. They both have information, but different kinds! The information inside them tells them what to do, just like a recipe tells you how to bake a cake.

Even your body has its own kind of information. Your brain sends messages to your legs so you can walk, and those messages are like tiny instructions traveling through your nerves.

So, information in physical systems is just special secrets or instructions that help things move, change, and do what they’re meant to do, like a toy box full of clever toys!