Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id CAA21660 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 22 Feb 2000 02:13:49 GMT From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: What are memes made of? Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 18:12:47 -0800 Message-ID: <NBBBIIDKHCMGAIPMFFPJOEIFEGAA.richard@brodietech.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 In-Reply-To: <200002211940.OAA09081@mail2.lig.bellsouth.net> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Joe wrote:
<<When the imitation is mandated to occur only within critical periods
and is genetically tightly circumscribed as to scope and range,
yes. People may make up different word strings all their lives;
human languages are open-ended systems, capable of unlimited
possibilities for signification. Where's your proof that any species'
birdsong modifies outside the genetically mandated critical period,
or is capable in any case of any more than a tiny number of very
similar "variations"? >>
To embellish this point slightly... in my mind the question is, does the
evolution of birdsong result in the formation of culture, which takes on a
life of its own independent of, but on the platform of, its genetic
heritage? That's when it would be memetics.
Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com www.memecentral.com/rbrodie.htm
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