Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id LAA00774 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 11 Jun 2000 11:34:29 +0100 Message-ID: <001401bfd394$44ebfc40$8603bed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <4.3.1.0.20000609101720.00c29290@pop3.htcomp.net> Subject: Re: Criticisms of Blackmore's approach Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 12:59:24 +0200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark M. Mills <mmills@htcomp.net>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 4:37 PM
Subject: Re: Criticisms of Blackmore's approach
> I'm always somewhat puzzled when people use the word 'transmit' with
regard
> to memes. Replicate works better for me.
>
> If a meme is a 'signal,' like a radio signal, then transmission would be
> appropriate. We don't understand radio signals in terms of populations,
> though. Without a population perspective, how can one find an
evolutionary
> perspective? How can signals 'compete' and allow natural selection to
> operate? I'm assuming you see an evolutionary role for memes.
>
> If a meme is a 'mental concept', then transmission is not
> appropriate. Your parrot example demonstrates this. Clearly, there is no
> 'transmission' of neural states or cognitive activity between parrot and
> human. The sensual stimulation of a parrot saying E=M C squared is
> appropriately isomorphic for human signal interpretation, but then we are
> back to signal transmission.
>
> If a meme is an artifact, then perhaps the parrot is the meme (it was
> trained by a human). Again, transmission is not an issue in your
> example. The parrot doesn't go anywhere.
In an aside;
If a meme is not a ' natural object ', not a signal, not a mental concept,
not an arifact...what is then a ' new meme ' !?
Did we ever came up with a term for this !?
If you don' t like (puzzled by) the word ' transmit ' regarding memes, how
do you explain the term you use (replicating) concerning new memes !?
What is here replicated !?
Or did I miss something !?
Thanks,
Kenneth
(I am, because we are)
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