Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA26023 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 13 Aug 2001 14:26:57 +0100 From: <joedees@bellsouth.net> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 08:31:00 -0500 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Logic Message-ID: <3B779044.24098.1BB7C3D@localhost> In-reply-to: <000d01c1228c$2b49b0a0$ed87b2d1@teddace> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12c) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> The question is why some memes are so successful at colonizing brains
> compared to other memes. What gives them their power? According to
> the morphic model, the more often an organic structure is replicated
> the more powerful its resonance becomes. If a whole lot of people
> think a particular style of clothing is cool, then other people are
> liable to feel that way as well. This would explain why some memes
> propagate so well regardless of any factors that make them somehow
> more "fit." The terrain of human consciousness is far different from
> the earth. In the real world you've got to be smart and resilient to
> survive. In the human world, even pet rocks are suitable for
> propagation if enough people think they're cool.
>
> On the other hand, pet rocks didn't last very long, did they?
>
> Btw, Sheldrake himself doesn't say much on memes except to point out
> that they don't exist atomistically. Instead they're arranged in
> nested hierarchies. So, for instance, the meme for a particular tune
> is nested within the meme for the pop star who sings it, which is
> nested within the meme for pop music in general. The meme for genetic
> determinism is nested within the meme for deterministic thinking in
> general, which is nested within the meme for nature-as-machine, which
> is nested within the meme for anthropomorphosis. That is, we tend to
> project ourselves onto nature. In modern times, this manifests in a
> projection of human technology onto nature. The idea that nature has
> a machine-like predictability has served to resurrect the ancient meme
> of "fate," which has since manifested in terms of genetics.
>
> Memes take on different guises over time in order to remain pleasing.
> In early modern times, the preformationism meme took the form of the
> homunculus, but as our understanding progressed, this meme had to
> transform into "genetic blueprints" in order to survive. This is
> where pet rocks failed.
>
> I've never tried to apply the morphic model to memes before. This
> effort is certainly better than the post I fired off last night under
> the heading "morphic memes." Definitely a work in progress.
>
According to the evolutionary model, useful memes enhanced the
reproductive success of those brains that were more permeable to
them at the same time that brains selected for more brain-
permeable useful memes; co-evolution, from both ends.
>
> Ted Dace
>
>
>
> ===============================================================
> 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
>
===============================================================
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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