Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution

From: Dr Able Lawrence (able@sgpgi.ac.in)
Date: Sun Feb 04 2001 - 09:40:36 GMT

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    Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 15:10:36 +0530 (IST)
    From: Dr Able Lawrence <able@sgpgi.ac.in>
    To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution
    In-Reply-To: <20010203182614.B5864@reborntechnology.co.uk>
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    Hi,
         Mate selection is predominantly influenced by culture which depends
    on memes and not genes. The extant of influence genes on the matter cannot
    be fully determined. But with memetics it is not necessary to invoke genes
    in mate selection.
        I was simply saying that if things are purely Darwinian then
    everything must be in genes but the pace of cultural change is much faster
    than genes can change. In any case biologically we havnt changed much
    since the hominids except may be brain size (which can be explained by a
    few genes (if you are in touch with molecular embryology; just prolonged
    or increased expression of one or a few genes at particular phases in
    cerebral embryogenesis may be able to explain the same. Morphological
    differences does not necessarily mean huge genetic gap as the innumerable
    breeds of canines would testify!) and some other differences whic are
    inconsequential.

                             Able
       

    On Sat, 3 Feb 2001, Robin Faichney wrote:

    > On Sat, Feb 03, 2001 at 12:07:59PM -0500, Wade T.Smith wrote:
    > > Hi Dr Able Lawrence --
    > >
    > > >in Genetic evolution there is no
    > > >conscious choice by the participating players
    > >
    > > Don't tell that to any woman....
    >
    > :-)
    >
    > > >evolution of memes
    > > >are influenced by the aesthetic values of the participating humans
    > >
    > > And this seems like such a mobius strip of intentionality that I tend to
    > > strike it quickly with Occam's tool, and let socio-biology sift out where
    > > the aesthetic came from in the first place.
    > >
    > > The aesthetic behind a woman's decision to allow a certain male to
    > > impregnate her- how can it be said that is not genetic?
    >
    > It doesn't need to be said that it's not genetic, only that it's not
    > entirely genetic. Any cultural influence on her choice, however slight,
    > means memes are influencing genes.
    >
    > And remember, we're not necessarily talking "allow to impregnate", with
    > it's po-faced connotations, here -- any male who manages to turn her on,
    > by whatever means, might do. Or do you think culture doesn't have any
    > influence over what turns people on?
    >
    > --
    > Robin Faichney
    > robin@reborntechnology.co.uk
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > 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
    >

                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                     Dr Able Lawrence MD
                                     Senior Resident
                                     Clinical Immunology
                                     SGPGIMS, Lucknow
                                     able@sgpgi.ac.in
                                     Ph +91 98390 70247
                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ===============================================================
    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



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