Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA15216 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 11 Dec 2001 14:37:26 GMT Message-ID: <B5EDC67328A3D311B0F70006293884CA039195B0@electra.shu.ac.uk> From: "Price, Ilfryn" <I.Price@shu.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Definition please Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 14:32:24 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> On 12/10/01 23:31, Ray Recchia said this-
>
> >Personally, the thing that I have always had trouble with is how a
> >sophisticated organ like the brain has so much trouble
> adding two three
> >digit numbers together.
And Wade said
> If that were a necessary survival adaptation within this
> environment, it
> would have been selected for, but, it ain't. Some need for
> this function
> was seen, socially (memetically, if you will), and so mathematics and
> calculators, abacuses and the like, were invented, in that lamarckian
> process we call creative design.
That need arose and arithmetic got selected for (memetically) when (If I recall 'The Third Chimpanzee correctly) we first had agriculture
hence surpluses and a need to keep records - hence writing, and a major speed up of cultural (memetic) evolution
<snip>
>> >As I have said before though in the study of memes we should concern
> >ourselves with the existence of a non-genetic evolutionary
> system. There
> >is nothing about evolution that requires consciousness.
>
> But, IMHO, memetics does require consciousness.
Alternative;y of course consciousness requires memes, and is a by-product therefore firstly of speech and tool-making and secondly of
accountasncy and writing
If
If Price
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