Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id JAA18161 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 21 Feb 2001 09:23:22 GMT Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 08:44:48 +0000 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Darwinian evolution vs memetic evolution Message-ID: <20010221084448.A11074@reborntechnology.co.uk> References: <F14895K7aI4z93XAg0p00006d0d@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.12i In-Reply-To: <F14895K7aI4z93XAg0p00006d0d@hotmail.com>; from ecphoric@hotmail.com on Tue, Feb 20, 2001 at 07:33:06PM -0500 From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Tue, Feb 20, 2001 at 07:33:06PM -0500, Scott Chase wrote:
>
> >In fact, if we look only at genes and memes, then fitness does mean
> >survivability, which does mean stability. A fit gene is simply one
> >that survives, which requires stability in the relevant environment.
> >The difference between living and non-living entities is that, with life,
> >we have stable items of information, as opposed to mere matter.
> >
> Could a gene make do with mere survival or would it need to find a way to
> ensure that copies of itself are made and are passed onward down the line?
That's a false dichotomy. According to latest thinking, you and I
share about 99.9% of our genes. That's not because we're physically
connected, like Siamese twins (sorry, forget the modern terminology),
but because genes are items of information: no matter how many copies
of one exist, it remains one gene, and there is no distinction to be
drawn between "mere survival" and "survival by reproduction".
> Maybe survival and reproduction should be viewed as complementary.
In memetics and genetics they're the same thing.
-- 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
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