Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA10108 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 20 Jan 2001 16:22:35 GMT Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010120095358.01ca3810@pop3.htcomp.net> X-Sender: mmills@pop3.htcomp.net X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.0.2 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 10:11:38 -0600 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Mark Mills <mmills@htcomp.net> Subject: Re: phenotypic plasticity and ontogeny In-Reply-To: <20010120045907.AAA22165@camailp.harvard.edu@[204.96.32.113 ]> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=====================_1013726251==_.ALT" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
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Wade,
At 12:00 AM 1/20/01 -0500, you wrote:
>So, I'm more and more seeing the meme as a special functional
>unit of behavior- a tool of the neural system that develops from the
>phenotypic plastic. And I see it as a 'sexual' element (and, so far, only
>as the 'male' element) of communication.
Consider this story. A fellow wants to tell his girl friend that he loves
her. He gets a dozen roses, brings it to her house and presents it to her.
The guy wants to 'plant' the concept 'I love you' in the girl's head by
presenting her with a gift.
So, what happens next?
The results are not predictable. If we watch 100 of these behavioral
events, 70 times the gift produces a kiss, 30 times it produces a cold icy
stare. What happened?
One interpretation would be that the gift produces a reaction based on the
receiver's contextual understanding of the situation. If the girl's
contextual status prior to the gift ritual was 'Oh, my sweetheart,' a kiss
is probably returned. If the girl's contextual status was 'I wonder what
he is trying to hide', the gift ritual produces an icy stare.
In other words, before the gift (sign) produces an internal memory for the
girl, the sign is convoluted with her contextual understanding. This
happens for every sign we perceive. They are convoluted with our
contextual understanding prior to being memorized. One might say 'sign'
giving is the male side and convoluting perception and context the female.
Does that sound enough like memetic sex for you?
Mark
http://www.htcomp.net/markmills
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