Re: Memetics basics

From: Van oost Kenneth (kennethvanoost@belgacom.net)
Date: Fri 19 Dec 2003 - 14:34:59 GMT

  • Next message: Keith Henson: "Good EP FAQ"

    ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Henson" <hkhenson@rogers.com>
    > " . . . in projecting a science of social prediction, SF writers have been
    > far ahead of the scientists. Isaac Asimov based the entire Foundation
    > series on "Psychohistory." Robert Heinlein developed the theme of
    > predicting social movement in his Future History stories, especially in
    > Revolt in 2100, Methuselah's Children, and in the unwritten saga of
    > Reverend Nehemiah Scudder."

    Not only SF writers made the future reality, also comic strip artists were far ahead of their time. Comic characters invented things which we take now for granted, they were involved in situations which now became part of our truth, they made predictions, did went to places ( like the moon) and write about things which will be part of our lives some day to come.

    I myself have a good deal of an imagination, but I often wonder why some of my ideas never make the headlines, where ideas, situations, etc. of those writers have prediction- value and moreover are seen as really opening doors to the near future.

    What makes the difference !? What kind of imagination and fantasy do possess those writers and what kind do I lack !?

    I often wrote essays for this list, I often wandered ideas about, about memes, some of those made it through, but what makes the difference between what I got in mind, what science thinks about and what is written by artists and taking for real !?

    I know, for instance, that, ( I have read this somewhere) that in the American Army, a special task- force is present which reads out SF books and others I suppose to find new ideas for making weapons, to comprehend particular situations, to find out what people think or might think in particular circumstances/ situations. Or is that just another urban myth !? A meme !?

    Regards,

    Kenneth

    =============================================================== 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 2.1.5 : Fri 19 Dec 2003 - 14:36:22 GMT