From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed 20 Nov 2002 - 04:28:19 GMT
As near as I can tell, computers only pass memes from humans to other
humans. They pass the encoded message from computer to computer, but so far
the computers don't get the message, they just pass it. Only humans
understand it. The day the computer understands the message is the day we'd
better get ready to pass the baton and let the new kid take over.
Grant
>Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 15:53:25 -0800
>
>OK - out of lurkdom for a whopping 3RD time in one week!
>
>Grant's wonderful post reminded me of a long-time nagging question I've had
>that perhaps some of you here have discussed or have given a much more
>thorough mulling. That is - if computers are now agents of meme-spreading
>(and I believe they are), as these super-computers come into their own, is
>it possible or likely that memes will become less reliant (or even
>non-reliant?) on humans for transmission? And if so, what happens to
>humanity at that point? Do we become slaves to computer-generated memes?
>Do we drop back into a much less meme and technology driven society? Not
>being a "scholar", just a lay person very interested in memes, I don't even
>know if the ads and information and spam all over the place in computers is
>even considered memes, technically. So I ask.
>
>Personally, I wouldn't mind going back to a time when we were not
>constantly
>assaulted with advertisements and "sayings" in every single cranny of
>existence. Words and ideas being hurled at me like so many meme-bombs to
>the point where I dread leaving my house. But....at home I sit here in
>front of this computer, giving each new item no more than a few cursory
>moments' attention as I hurtle through cyber-space absorbing more, more,
>more!
>
>Virginia
>
>Murrieta, CA
>
>"My treasures do not clink together nor glitter. They gleam in the sun and
>bray in the night."
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
>Of Jeremy Bradley
>Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 2:22 PM
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: The pace of change
>
>
>At 08:33 AM 19/11/02 -0800, you wrote:
>
>Grant:
> >An article I read about a year ago by a businessman who was selling to
>the
> >global economy said that the greatest problem he had today was the pace
>of
> >change. The world is changing so quickly that he couldn't use methods he
> >learned at Harvard Business School to solve his business problems. They
> >were obsolete before he graduated.
> >
>SNIP.............
>
>Sorry to snip such an excellent and insightful piece, and I am keeping this
>one Grant as it covers most of the main issues at play in the global
>conflict today. The only criticism that I have is that you have brought
>them ALL up in the one post.
>There is just one thing that I would add. Since it would take another two
>and a half planets worth of resources, and one hell of a lot of pollution
>control, to raise the quality of life of all on the planet to that of the
>average Westerner, many people see 'development' as a con. They see it as
>an elaborate con that has been perpetrated by the wealthy economic
>interests to enslave them.
>Personally I feel like we are strapped to a technological bobsled hurtling
>down a slope towards the unknown. Maybe I am a 'fraidy cat', or maybe I am
>judiciously cautious.
>On the subject of computers becoming 'more intelligent' than us, I think
>that that they may become more logical, or more reasoning, but not more
>intelligent.
>My hypothetical question is, if a super-computer logically and reasonably
>arrived at the decision that humanity was on an unsustainable path and that
>we must modify the 'pace of change', or even go back to a simpler
>lifestyle, like Gandhi suggested, would our intelligence take any notice of
>it, or would we declare it faulty and try to build another more
>superer-computer which would agree with what we wanted to hear? I reckon
>that it would be the latter option.
>Cheers
>Jeremy
>
>
>
>===============================================================
>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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===============================================================
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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