Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA14698 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 20 Feb 2001 15:37:12 GMT Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 10:34:45 -0500 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "Memetics Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20010220153445.AAA27141@camailp.harvard.edu@[205.240.180.23]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Robin Faichney -
>The difference between living and non-living entities is that, with life,
>we have stable items of information, as opposed to mere matter.
Scratching at definitions yet again, it would appear that with life, what
we _don't_ have is stability, but rather the ability to fit, be maleable.
Like in the fable about the oak tree and the willow.
Life is an entity in the wind, and there is nothing really stable in
nature at all. Never has been. 'Fit' is an accident of timing, nutrition,
and place.
And I wonder at 'stable items of information' as well, since, what is
surviving is a very dymanic, and constantly capable of changing, set of
organic entities.
Even death is not stable in this universe, except in the sense that it
has no abilities.
So, all we mean by 'stable' here is a rather low down definition of
'stable', specifically, from the American Heritage Dictionary, #3.a.
"Consistently dependable", in that, yes, we have a dynamic process, life,
but we can depend upon it changing to fit ever-changing environmental
conditions, and this process, being the process that arose to begin life
in the first place, is of a consistent dependibility.
So far....
But, to me, that's stretching the word 'stable' way too far.
And, memetics doesn't have a Hercules to clean this one out, although
we're working on the river.
- Wade
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