Re: Definition of meme

From: joedees@bellsouth.net
Date: Tue 20 May 2003 - 17:19:01 GMT

  • Next message: Wade T. Smith: "the class system"

    > Keith:
    > >Do you have any doubt that the physical representation of a meme in a
    > >brain (where memes exist as a class of memory) can be found? (Given
    > >fine enough tools of course.) Here is a thought experiment on how to
    > >do it:
    > >
    > >Take a snapshot of the places and states of every atom in a
    > >brain. Immediately have the brain learn a new a new phone number,
    > >snapshot again. Subtract. Ignoring the (eventually solvable)
    > >engineering problems, what is left is the physical representation of
    > >the encoded phone number or meme or whatever. Might be hard to
    > >figure out how it is encoded, but that's just detail.
    >
    > That might not be so straightforward as you suggest. In your example,
    > there may be legion ways remembering a phone-number. Moreover the
    > strategy employed to remember phone-numbers, or any event for that
    > matter, is highly personal and unique (since we all have unique brains
    > with a unique history track). Such strategies will determine how and
    > where memories are formed and stored. Also the more newly acquired
    > information is connected or entangled with existing memories the
    > better the new information seems to be remembered. This will make
    > isolated identification of specific memorized events exceedingly hard
    > if not impossible.
    >
    > Keith:
    > >If you don't buy this model, then are you making a claim that memory
    > >has no physical encoding or that it is outside the physical world?
    >
    > It exists alright. It is just that brains are too darn complex,
    > entangled and unique to identify and isolate information replicators.
    > The mind may be a better playground for memetics.
    >
    > Phil
    >
    The number most likely would be encoded, not in an additional pattern, but in the difference between a prior (at rest or otherwise occupied0 pattern and the subsequent one.
    > ===============================================================
    > 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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