Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA10786 (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 23:43:58 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.191] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: phenotypic plasticity and ontogeny Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 18:41:06 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F179cM3oryKFRJrzdDW00005014@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 20 Jan 2001 23:41:06.0400 (UTC) FILETIME=[75331E00:01C0833A] 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 Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: Re: phenotypic plasticity and ontogeny
>Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 00:00:47 -0500
>
>Hi Mark Mills --
>
>Thanks for all of that. Highly interesting.
>
> >I don't think there is genetic versus memetic sex.
>
>Hmmm. I don't think I was looking for a versus- more a 'how can they be
>the same?' For me to get a gene distributed (replicated), I have to
>produce progeny, since I ain't just talking about the continuation of my
>single bodily life or the splitting of my cells, although, yes, in some
>ways the technology of genetics may one day provide me with another
>avenue. (For the sake of this definition, a sperm bank is 'sex', but
>gene-splicing is not.) For me to get a meme distributed, I have to
>convince someone else to 'birth' it. I have to have 'sex' with them to
>plant the meme, and hope that the progeny will be recognizable as part of
>my me(me). 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.
>
>So, is it only my dirty mind?
>
>
The part about "birthing" an idea reminds of "midwifery" or the "maieutic
method". I'm not into playdough, so my familiarity with Socrates is not so
good. I stumbled upon maiuesis in Nietzsche's _Birth of Tragedy_ if I'm not
mistaken. The midwifery analogy sounds cool at face value (ie- helping
another cope with labor pains as you coax an idea out of them). The
fertilization before hand is a little tricky. Maybe it was immaculate
conception?
Once born, I wonder if the idea is taken to the nursery with all the other
newborn ideas.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
===============================================================
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 2b29 : Sat Jan 20 2001 - 23:45:41 GMT