Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA04896 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 9 Jan 2002 13:57:47 GMT Message-Id: <200201091353.g09DrFS09882@sherri.harvard.edu> Subject: Re: playing at suicide Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 08:53:11 -0500 x-sender: wsmith1@camail.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T. Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 01/08/02 23:14, Grant Callaghan said this-
>When a baby cries, mommy sticks a nipple in
>its mough. The need is satisfied. That was a meme he used
If that is true- if you think that those instinctive reactions, the
baby's and the mother's- are memetic, than I have to announce my
separation from your tribe.
Although I'm sitting on a fence, I lean over at almost all times to the
side that places memetic activity in at least another level than
instinctive behavioral activity. The propagation mechanisms of birdsong
(imitation, behavioral algoritms), may be involved in memetic activity in
humans, but birdsong itself is not memetic, from my side of the fence.
And if environmental behaviors like birdsong are not memetic, than
reactive instinctual infant behaviors like crying when hungry, ain't
either.
- Wade
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