Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id HAA19611 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 20 Aug 2001 07:55:35 +0100 From: <joedees@bellsouth.net> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2001 23:54:56 -0500 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: MR Evidence Message-ID: <3B8051D0.21453.1D09AF@localhost> In-reply-to: <000701c128eb$45f69ca0$4507bed4@default> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12c) Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 19 Aug 2001, at 22:11, Kenneth Van Oost wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dace <edace@earthlink.net>
> > > Someone asked New Scientist a few weeks back about any evidence
> > > for improvements amongst species in relation to other human
> > > development- particularly things like hedgehogs crossing roads.
> > > Little more than anecdotal evidence of people reckoning that rounf
> > > their way hedgehogs
> seem
> > > more canny about crossing the road without getting splattered by
> > > cars
> was
> > > offered by other readers. (Maybe they've been secretly watching
> > > the
> road
> > > safety ads for kids on UK TV that use animated hedgehogs crossing
> > > the
> road
> > > safely....).
> > > Actual studies of this would be good for studies of animal
> > > learning, transmission by imitation (i.e. animal memes), and
> > > possibly an empirical test of MR as well.
>
> > There's tons of anecdotal evidence like this supporting morphic
> > resonance. Sheldrake has received a lot of mail from dog owners,
> > falcon and horse trainers, cattle ranchers, and dairy farmers
> > regarding the progressive improvement of each generation of animals
> > in their ability to adapt to innovative methods of training and
> > management.
>
> Hi Vincent, Dace,
>
> In Belgium we built special tunnels for hedgehogs to cross the road
> safely. The animals, in order to learn where the tunnel is, are guided
> by the smell of food etc. We do the same for frogs.
>
> And by the way, Vincent, if you want to take part in such an experi-
> ment I believe one was running on Sheldrake's homepage. I don 't know
> if it still does.
>
The answer has to do with environmental selection; the slow, stpid
and heedless ones get splattered and don't reproduce.
>
> Best,
>
> Kenneth
>
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
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>
===============================================================
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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