Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA09021 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 8 Oct 2001 19:08:45 +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: Genes are Memes Message-ID: <1002564256.3bc1eaa065c69@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 20:04:16 +0200 (CEST) References: <E15peHu-0004T3-00@dryctnath.mmu.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <E15peHu-0004T3-00@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: 128.32.78.152 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Thesis: Genes are Memes
>
> Example:
> A research team analyses the dna of a plant. They find genes, which
> after changing make the plant become more resistant to insects.
> After a number of plants have grown on a field another research team
> steals some plants from this field. This team starts to analyze the
> changed dna and finds the changed genes in there. They might decide
> to copy this meme. With the help of the plant which serves as a
> host for the meme which the first research team put into its dna, a
> meme is transmitted from research team to research team, from brain
> to brain.
>
> Genes are memes, and will become even more so as humans will change
> it more and more. The big question is still, what created the
> original memes in dna, that scientists now change?
Interesting but fallacious Salice. Genes and memes form two
separate, not strictly independent, replicators. Your confusing
the concept of the gene, which is in fact a meme, with the gene
itself. Genetic engineering is an artificial means to intervene
in natural genetic evolution. It's a set of techniques, memes,
to improve genetic evolution. Data featuring DNA-chains has all
the features of being memetic (though be it extremely specialistic)
since they can pass from researcher to researcher.
However, the DNA itself still represents good old genes not memes.
It's memes (genetic engineering) inferering with genes.
Philip.
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