Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA18849 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 10 Apr 2001 13:27:12 +0100 X-Sender: rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Ray Recchia <rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com> Subject: Re: about omniscience through memetics Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 08:28:06 -0400 Message-ID: <1225216810-20440538@mail.clarityconnect.com> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
At 07:22 PM 4/9/2001 +0200, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>One could ask what is the significance of omniscience for memes. that means
that their is an unlimited space for memes to go in . For any meme that
existed, exist, will exist or would exist, there is no finite space to
compete for because vital space is infinite. So there is no selection
pressure, no darwinian evolution at all.
>
>So what about choice? choice could be a mechanism by which memes are
selected along some guiding lines, in a particular cultural environment in mind.
>If omniscience means no selection, it may mean no choice possible because
choice is selection.
>
>Is god really free ?
>
In order for evolution to work, generational variation must be limited .
Think of a bag of marbles. Suppose that we define certain characteristics
as being more fit among the marbles and that somewhere in that bag we have a
'most fit' marble. In our first generation we draw say 10 out of 1000
marbles and find the one with the characteristics that most closely approach
our best fit. If for our next generation we just reach into the same bag of
marbles then there really can't be any evolution. The odds of picking a
more fit marble are no better.
Evolution requires that the offspring of an organism be limited in the
possible types of variations that they can take on, or at minimum that there
is some probability restriction on the likelihood of offspring which is
related to the characteristics of the current generation. Further the
limitations in variation in those offspring must be more likely to produce a
more fit offspring than the limitations in variation on the previous
generation. I suspect that this is what you are trying to get at.
In humans limitations on variation due to the state of a current meme may be
difficult to define but they certainly exist. While people are capable of
fits of inspiration and can use logic and other tools rather mere blind
searching , the likelihood of a farmer in 3000 B.C. coming up with the
theory of evolution was much less than the probability of 19th century
British biologist.
Ray Recchia
Raymond O. Recchia
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