Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id RAA23150 (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 17:38:22 GMT Message-ID: <B6E47FBD3879D31192AD009027AC929C368803@NWTH-EXCHANGE> From: Bruce Jones <BruceJ@nwths.com> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Hari Seldon Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 11:41:22 -0600 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2232.9) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> From: Robin Faichney [SMTP:robin@faichney.demon.co.uk]
>
> On Mon, 21 Feb 2000, Lawrence H. de Bivort wrote:
> >Mistakes and mutations are different concepts.
>
>
[BJ] Robin Faichney wrote:
> Obviously so. But I always thought it generally accepted that what is a
> mistake
> from the "normal" perspective, if it results in a modified concept or
> behaviour, should be considered a memetic mutation. Is there some other
> way of
> looking at this of which I'm unaware?
>
> --
[BJ] How so???
If it is a mistake that an animal has the ability to run faster, fly
higher or hide better than its peers and thus avoid death long enough to
pass on its ability, then it becomes genetic and the difference between a
mistake and a mutation is mute. Only if the mistake as in the expression of
a gene that is 'anti-survival' will the concept of difference be recognized.
I feel that the same occurs with words, thoughts and social
concepts. In the 1890s the term to be gay was OK. It meant having a
happy-go-lucky attitude towards life and living. In the mid 1900s this
began to 'evolve' and 'mutate' to a very negative term. Which is the
mistake and which is the mutation? Where is the survivability? Will gay as
a word and concept become extinct or will there be a branching with two
separate but related 'families' arising? In twenty, fifty, one-hundred
years how will a semanticist trace the word [if it still exists]?
Just some thoughts
>
[BJ] Bruce Jones
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