Re: Early Lunch

From: Alan Patrick (a.patrick@btinternet.com)
Date: Sun Apr 14 2002 - 18:14:02 BST

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    From: "Alan Patrick" <a.patrick@btinternet.com>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    References: <B8DF2443.8C%srdrew_1@hotmail.com>
    Subject: Re: Early Lunch
    Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 13:14:02 -0400
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    The killer article for memetics is the one a few pages earlier on networks.

    Rgds

    Alan
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Steve Drew" <srdrew_1@hotmail.com>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 7:19 AM
    Subject: Early Lunch

    > Has any one read the article in this weeks New Scientist (13/4/02, Vol
    174,
    > No 2338)?
    >
    > For those that haven't Richard Coss thinks our transition from ape to
    human
    > was kick started not only by leaving the trees, but also because rather
    than
    > being the hunter, 5 million years ago we were the hunted. He argues that
    our
    > hunting behaviour, social systems all result from the need to devise
    > defences against creatures the like of which aren't around today.
    >
    > I find the idea quite reasonable as it provides an answer why did we begin
    > tool using. Whacking something with a stick or rock that is bigger than
    you
    > has a better success rate than shaking a fist at it. As we become more
    adept
    > with bigger and better sticks we learnt to fight back which is a good
    > precursor to learning hunting. If you can clobber a sabretooth, a small
    deer
    > (say) becomes a feasible target.
    >
    > Basically it was an evolutionary arms race with us trying to catch up.
    >
    > He also argues for certain predispositions of an evolutionary psychology
    > nature. That is instincts that have become hardwired. In one test he
    > constructed a virtual model of some savannah and showed it to some
    > pre-school kids. He introduced a lion to the scene and asked the kids to
    > pick the safest spot from 3 choices: In a crevice, a thorn bush or on top
    of
    > a boulder. Only 1 in six chose the boulder which was the only safe spot.
    Not
    > definitive evidence I know, but the article does contain other interesting
    > ideas and theories.
    >
    > As has already been noted, in relation to language, he argues that
    language
    > evolved from cries of alarm to a proto language exhibited by some apes
    today
    > that distinguishes between specific threats through to language proper.
    >
    > Interesting piece. It also notes that anthropologists are not at all keen
    on
    > it.
    >
    > Regards
    >
    > Steve
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > 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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