Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA29824 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 9 Mar 2002 23:07:27 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.222.132] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Example of an aggresive irrational meme Date: Sat, 09 Mar 2002 18:02:12 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F12NQptgFrYILoygXLs000170ef@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 Mar 2002 23:02:12.0628 (UTC) FILETIME=[72C48540:01C1C7BE] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: "Philip Jonkers" <philipjonkers@prodigy.net>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: Re: Example of an aggresive irrational meme
>Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 16:20:24 -0900
>
>Phil:
> > > In biology mutation together with sex defines one vital component of
>natural
> > > selection: variation.
> > > The other two are: selection and retentive reproduction.
>
>Steve:
> > Fair enough. I just didn't think i needed to break it down that much to
>make
> > the point. I know some people have tried, not too convincingly to my
>mind,
> > to bring the sex angle into memetics, but i think it is best left with
> > biology. What would be an equivalant way for mutation to occur
>memetically
> > if we removed the biological idea of sex?
>
>I do think that memetical evolution has a sexual component. In biological
>evolution
>sex proved an excellent way to constitute high level of variation and to
>disseminate useful genes (acquired through mutation) through the
>population.
>The same thing
>also happens in culture. Allow me to explain. In biology, gene-hosts
>copulate to exchange
>and disseminate good genes (compare sexual reproduction with its slow
>alternative
>asexual reproduction in which variation relies exclusively on the sporadic
>mutation).
>If you forget about the erotic connotations for a second, you may
>appreciate
>that a
>similar thing takes place in memetic evolution. In fact culture is one big
>orgie and new
>memes get born out of existing ones after a multitude of meme-hosts have
>put
>their heads together.
>Consider for instance the marriage between mathematics and physics:
>mathematicians and
>physicists combined make a great pair. Why? Together they make the clock
>tick in science
>as mathematics is the language needed by physicists which in turn
>stimulates
>and triggers
>new research in math. The offspring of their wedding have always turned out
>to be
>vital for scientific research.
>You can even take it further and state that culture would not have reached
>the level
>it now has without memetic sex (the same goes for biology too).
>Culture as an evolving entity is a collective enterprise of a group of
>agents acting in unity.
>Meme hosts constantly have cultural sex in order to produce new ideas,
>strategies,
>solutions to problems, theories, and what not. After all what are meetings
>for?
>It's just another orgie of memes.
>
>Also memes have `sex' in your head too. There also memes interact with
>other
>memes
>to produce new ones. This is what abstract or creative thinking is all
>about
>for instance.
>There is where the parallel with biology ends of course.
>
>
I'm still having trouble seeing where the parallel begins ;-)
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