Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id RAA19923 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 29 Sep 2001 17:21:58 +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: Thesis: Memes are DNA-Slaves Message-ID: <1001780133.3bb5f3a5c9993@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 18:15:33 +0200 (CEST) References: <E15n6Kw-0000sr-00@dryctnath.mmu.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <E15n6Kw-0000sr-00@dryctnath.mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: IMP/PHP IMAP webmail program 2.2.6 X-Originating-IP: 129.125.13.3 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Quoting salice <salice@gmx.net>:
>
> > What scale would explain coming to the aid of a whale or other wild
> animal
> > in distress? I watched a program recently where a whale was in
> distress and
> > a bunch of people got together to help it and it was then sent to a
> water
> > park for rehabilitation. *Why* (in the evolutionary sense of the word)
> would
> > someone consider the plight of sea turtles a serious concern? Would
> > inclusive fitness or reciprocal altruism fit the bill here?
>
> i dont know on dna-level, maybe these
> people share some genes with the distressed whale. they could also
> get money from tourists in the water park. on the meme level i mean
> you saw them on tv, if they wouldnt have saved the whale you wouldnt
> have seen them. it's just some kind of humor. but it makes you think
> so there's some meme business happening no matter how stupid it
> looks.
>
> i dont know like many people feel sad when they see a dead bird on
> the street but have no problem killing spiders or other insects.
> maybe there is some dependence or just cultural learned belief.
It's likely we share more than 30-40 percent with any mammal.
Yet it doesn't prevent us from slaying cows and sheep. Why?
They don't genetically overlap with our genes enough to
recognize them as genetic soul-mates.
We want food, therefore we kill `em.
Hell, there are scores of people killing (or eating) other
people who have 99.9 % over their genes in common!
The key words needed to describe the above charitable actions,
I maintain, is interspecific altruism brought about by and for
culture. See my previous postings...
Philip.
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