Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA17502 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:32:46 +0100 From: Philip Jonkers <P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl> X-Authentication-Warning: rugth1.phys.rug.nl: www-data set sender to jonkers@localhost using -f To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Spoiled reward-pathway hypothesis II (learning-machines) Message-ID: <999261046.3b8f837616bd2@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 14:30:46 +0200 (CEST) References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745FFA@inchna.stir.ac.uk> <998048139.3b7d018bf3ed3@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> <998065363.3b7d44d349869@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> <999098896.3b8d0a10a4b2d@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> <3B8D1506.5DDC12F@bioinf.man.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <3B8D1506.5DDC12F@bioinf.man.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: IMP/PHP IMAP webmail program 2.2.5 X-Originating-IP: 129.125.13.3 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Quoting Chris Taylor <Christopher.Taylor@man.ac.uk>:
> That's a nice twist on things - I like the idea that a brain
> designed to be challenged with diverse input has some spare
> capacity that will be utilised by something, and is therefore
> easily filled with a 'junk meme' or whatever you want to call
> it. This is a bit like something I saw a while ago about
> depressed zoo animals raising their own seratonin
> through repetitive physical acts (it was heartbreaking
> actually, but interesting too).
The point in my hypothesis is not that the brain did not evolve
to have a spare capacity reserved for addiction, but rather
that through the gene-meme co-evolution the brain has attained
an affinity to sponsor addictive behavior. Furthermore, it seems
that one quarter of the population seems to carry a gene which
actually stimulates addictive behavior by being responsible for
the construction of less sensitive dopamine receptors; it's the
A1 allele of the D1 dopaminergic receptor gene. Other alleles
yield more sensitive D1 receptors and hence don't require as
much stimuli. The A1 allele is found to be much more prevalent
among addicts (of whatever kind) than non-addicts. Less senstive
D1 receptors may indicate that brains owning these receptors
require a lot of stimuli, healthy or unhealthy.
Physical exercise is known to raise neurotransmitter levels
(in particular serotonine, dopamine and endorphines,
as far as I know). As our culture develops physical activity
becomes increasingly superfluous (means of transport, TV, computers
etc.). Accoring to my hypothesis, we then need to get our
kicks elsewhere. So again it's our culture luring us into
addiction. (Don't worry I'm not that negative about culture!)
> Also, I find personally that many of my (minor all the way up to
> compulsive) habits and psychological addictions (such as the act of
> smoking even when I'm chock full of nicotine) disappear when I'm
> busy...
Interesting... why don't you swap smoking for sports and still
be able to maintain high dopamine levels... (it's easier
said than done, right?)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Chris Taylor (chris@bioinf.man.ac.uk)
> http://bioinf.man.ac.uk/ »people»chris
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> ===============================================================
> 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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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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