From: Scott Chase (osteopilus@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat 19 Mar 2005 - 19:44:32 GMT
--- Keith Henson <hkhenson@rogers.com> wrote:
> At 11:53 AM 18/03/05 +0000, Chris Taylor wrote:
> >
[snip]
> >
> >What meme 'transmission' should be shorthand for is
> a mix of phenotypic
> >copying and convergent evolution; e.g. I learn a
> behaviour or internalise
> >a thought, but in doing so I try (ahem) to
> construct an internal copy that
> >works like the thing I have seen, from my own
> internal stuff, i.e. the sum
> >of my experiences and internal interactions to
> date. If we both see an
> >artefact it will produce superficially similar (on
> testing)
> >representaitons of it in our minds (not dissimilar
> to a jelly mould). But
> >to imagine that there is anything remotely similar
> in an absolute sense is
> >ridiculous.
>
> Then we could never play games with rules and we
> would never know what a
> light at an intersection might mean or what side of
> the road to drive on.
>
If we follow similar rules that's one thing, but how
do we know that sufficient similarity exists at the
mental level to look at this as an exmple of a
discrete neural meme?
As for "games with rules" how do we know that Brits
and Aussies look at the game of Merkin football the
same way as Merkins do. Sure they can learn the rules
and figure out how to play the game and at the level
of overt behavior we might say there's a certian
degree of replication so to speak, but wouldn't Brits
and Auusie perceive the game of football diferently
via the lenses of rugby and soccer and perhaps
associate aspects of football with the sports they
have been more familar with due to their cultural
milieu?
Chris has offered his opinion of Iced Tea coming from
a distinctly British POV. I could drink a nice tall
refreshing glass of Iced Tea at a restaurant out of a
mason jar*. Chris might see my behavior and against
his higher sense of Kultur decide to follow suit. That
glass of iced tea is going to possibly mean something
different to him than it would me. The notion of "iced
tea" might be stored differently in his brain than
mine, due to our different backgrounds. It will be
woven into his mental tapestry differently perhaps. Is
"iced tea" thus replicated in his mind due to his
viewing my behavior?
You might be looking at Chris and I dribnking iced tea
from another table. First I drink my tea. Chris follws
suit. You assume replication of behavior due to what
is overtly observable. Can you assume discrete packets
of info have flowed from my brain to his and have been
replicated and stored there? The behaviors are
strikingly similar. Are the notions in each of our
noggins? I'm enjoying my iced tea with 6 sgars and
squeeze of lemon. Maybe Chris is politely fighting the
urge to run to the restroom and vomit.
*- Yes a mason jar. So what?!
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