Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA29112 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 19 Nov 2001 19:39:42 GMT Message-ID: <001601c17131$e913a700$df9ebed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3102A6D133@inchna.stir.ac.uk> <3BF9466B.1050508@bioinf.man.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Study shows brain can learn without really trying Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 20:29:49 +0100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Taylor <Christopher.Taylor@man.ac.uk>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2001 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: Study shows brain can learn without really trying
> Habit, in nature, is based upon the accumulation of adaptive
> behaviours over time. Corals on the Great Barrier Reef all release eggs
and
> sperm at the same time within a 3-4 day period at the same time each year-
> millions and millions of coral all within the same period of time, clear
> evidence of the millions of years corals have been evolving, and the
> adaptive benefits of doing this at the same time as other corals so your
> eggs don't all get eaten. Do corals have memories, or are they merely
> following an encoded programme in their neural tissue (I don't even know
if
> corals have brains, so to speak) itself a product of evolution?
And at the risk off nicking your ball and running far too far with it; I
have no problem with the idea that 'lower' animals can have classically
evolved, hard-wired 'memes' (but then I abuse that term horribly because
I can't think of a more appropriate one).
ICU is the term for going
'Squawk!' when you see a predator (not to alert mates - that would be
true altruism, of which there is none in the world - it's to let the
*predator* know that *you've* seen it [I see you] so please attack
someone else - entirely selfish, like flocking, but I digress) - that is
a complex behavioural response to a very complex stimulus - what is the
difference whether this is hard wired or learned (apart from timescale
and some minor system details)?
Hi Chris,
I don 't here though, true altruism !? Maybe not, but screaming out squawk,
as you put it, does exist ! All kinds of animals alert their mates for
danger
and or for predators. Or do you say when you write mate, the wife and/ or
the husband !?
That is, sceaming out squawk only then for your wife and not for the herd !?
Than of course, you are right saying that altruism does not exist !
Regards,
Kenneth
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