Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA09271 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 23 Mar 2000 18:25:29 GMT Message-Id: <200003231823.NAA12406@mail4.lig.bellsouth.net> From: "Joe E. Dees" <joedees@bellsouth.net> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 12:27:32 -0600 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: RE: objections to "memes" In-reply-to: <A4400389479FD3118C9400508B0FF230040BC9@DELTA.newhouse.akzonobel.nl> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12b) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: "Gatherer, D. (Derek)" <D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl>
To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: objections to "memes"
Date sent: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 14:35:33 +0100
Send reply to: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Richard:
> So I ask again, how do you explain it? [a learned behavior]
>
> Derek:
> Oh, I can't explain it at all. If I ever understood how and why people
> learn, I would have stayed in academia.
>
> But seriously, I don't think it matters that I can't explain learning at the
> neurobiological level. How a behaviour replicates isn't really what
> memetics is about. What memetics is about is the way that learned
> behaviours evolve under selective pressures, how cultures diverge etc. It's
> a population-level rather than an individual-level approach.
>
Yes, but selection can only occur between a multiplicity of differing
yet similar (niche-specific) alternatives. How do we arrive at this
necessary-for-selection-and-evolution-to-proceed multiplicity, if not
by means of internal mutation/modification of the original resulting
in a spectrum of variations? BTW, when neural paths are
continually used, the electrochemical stimulation promotes the
increased production of MAP-2 protein, which protects/insulates
and speeds the impulses which travel along the axonal and
dendritic connections by stimulating the thickening of their myelin
sheath. This process is known as canalization (the flip side of
plasticity), and explains how repetition can lead to reinforcement
and routinization of particular neural patterns.
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
>
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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