Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Feb 18 2001 - 07:39:27 GMT

  • Next message: Scott Chase: "Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution" 

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From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 02:39:27 -0500
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    >From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: "Memetics Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    >Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution
    >Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 20:37:23 -0500
    >
    >Hi Robin Faichney -
    >
    > >Surely all "fitness" means is that, in any given context, some things
    > >are more stable than others -- "fit" is what we call the stable ones.
    >
    >And what, pray tell, is stable?
    >
    >
    If stable means that something is fixed in a population, this condition need
    not relate to fitness. It could relate to something arbitrary or random.

    Stability could reflect constraint. Things that may be outmoded or "unfit"
    in new contexts could still remain as a beast of burden. Isn't the QWERTY
    thingy an example? IIRC the standard keyboard was arranged so that
    typewriters wouldn't jam.

    OTOH stability could reflect selection for a standard value, to the
    exclusion of deviants (ie- stabilizing selection). This stability might
    overlap with what Robin was talking about. That which is already toward the
    top of the local peak remains, unless the context shifts.

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