Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id UAA07114 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 19 Jan 2001 20:23:41 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.167] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: DNA Culture .... Trivia? Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 15:20:48 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F84dHqn5u3TS0wXbY8U00003cad@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 Jan 2001 20:20:49.0146 (UTC) FILETIME=[4FF1EDA0:01C08255] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: Re: DNA Culture .... Trivia?
>Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 14:41:33 -0500
>
>On 01/19/01 14:31, Scott Chase said this-
>
> >>Why are ideas important seeds?
> >>
> >Well let's explore the seed analogy. Would these seeds possess
>adaptations
> >for aiding dispersal via wind or perhaps little pricklies helping a
>surface
> >embedding onto the carrier to be planted in far off environs. Would some
> >memetic seeds have juicy and tasty coverings which increase their
>likelihood
> >of being consumed and dispersed with the resulting dung?
>
> >Are there sporophyte and gametophyte stages? Is there meiosis and
>reduction
> >division? Crossing over and recombination? Unequal crossing over leading
>to
> >meme duplication? Jumping memes?
>
>Yes, exactly. Time to identify the real, environmental and adaptive
>features of these things, as active agents, for direct and directed
>purposes.
>
>Not that I am advocating such fierce analogical precision- quite the
>contrary, although I applaud your poetic exercise.
>
Luckily, I didn't think about a twist on memetic peas in a pod or goobers.
>
> >In a viral analogy, all memes would do is co-opt host
> >machinery to facilitate more copies being made.
>
>Which could also be explained without such an agent, quite
>satisfactorily. Using Occam, there is no need for a viral meme, IMHO.
>
>
I dunno, for some reason the viral sort sounds more reasonable than bringing
sex and all it entails into the analogy.
OTOH I guess there's something to be said for the recombination of ideas,
but let's not get carried away.
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