RE: Tests show a human side to chimps

From: Gatherer, D. (Derek) (D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl)
Date: Wed Nov 15 2000 - 13:27:34 GMT

  • Next message: Wade T.Smith: "RE: Tests show a human side to chimps"

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    From: "Gatherer, D. (Derek)" <D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl>
    To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Subject: RE: Tests show a human side to chimps
    Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 14:27:34 +0100
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    Wade: (correctly attributed this time - sorry for misattribution)
    What sort of experiment is possible (if indeed a sort of experiment is
    possible) that will create the conditions wherein these replicators can
    be shown to scientific rigor to be independent?

    Derek:
    I don't know. Experiments on human are fraught with ethical and
    methodological difficulties. The best I think we can hope for are
    retrospective analyses, eg. along the lines of the Peruvian water-boiling
    case study. If you can show that a novel cultural variant has a selective
    advantage or disadvantage which does not affect the constitution of the gene
    pool of that population, then you have a good case.

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