RE: Central questions of memetics

From: Richard Brodie (richard@brodietech.com)
Date: Mon May 22 2000 - 22:16:14 BST

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From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: Central questions of memetics
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 14:16:14 -0700
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    Chuck wrote:

    <<It's when people start talking about memes like
    fax machines and computer operating systems as "useless" and lots of other
    stuff
    like that that I came to that conclusion.>>

    I'm not sure what people you're referring to. Blackmore said they were not
    necessary for survival, and they're not. Given that we have lots of cultural
    elements not necessary for survival, what causes those elements to evolve?
    Filling a perceived want is one factor, but not the only one. Her (minor)
    point, which I thought was clever if untested, is that inventions that
    enhance communication have an advantage over other kinds of inventions
    because like sexually transmitted diseases, memes are carried on their
    backs. If this prediction is correct we should see the rate of innovation
    for communications-facilitating inventions be higher than inventions in
    general.

    <<Suicide is a
    failure because it would lead to the extinction of the species.>>

    Not in moderation.

    Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com
    http://www.memecentral.com/rbrodie.htm

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