Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA15545 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 15 Apr 2002 16:40:03 +0100 Message-ID: <570E2BEE7BC5A34684EE5914FCFC368C10FC27@fillan.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Early Lunch Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 16:22:27 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" X-Filter-Info: UoS MailScan 0.1 [D 1] X-MailScanner: Found to be clean Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Alan,
would that be the piece on scale-free networks? I'm far from a
mathematician, but, yeah, it struck me as offering a lot to memetics. It
also reminded me of 'The Tipping Point', and the author (I can't recall his
name), and his idea about key ("hub"?) people important to the successful
dissemination of ideas (he cites Paul Revere as one example).
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Alan Patrick
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 18:14 PM
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Early Lunch
>
> 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
>
>
-- The University of Stirling is a university established in Scotland by charter at Stirling, FK9 4LA. Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not disclose, copy or deliver this message to anyone and any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email for messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of the University of Stirling shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.=============================================================== 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 archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Apr 15 2002 - 17:14:22 BST