Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id UAA08706 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 10 Jan 2002 20:42:32 GMT To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Message-Id: <AA-CC7AB799C2742BD630F565E57A2D8966-ZZ@maillink1.prodigy.net> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 15:38:23 -0500 From: "Philip Jonkers" <PHILIPJONKERS@prodigy.net> Subject: Re: Knowledge, Memes and Sensory Perception Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
--- Original Message ---
From: "Pieter Bouwer" <pbouwer@intekom.co.za>
To: "Memetics Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: Knowledge, Memes and Sensory Perception
>I am new to this list and also, except for a few
magazine
>articles over the last couple of years, a novice in
the field of
>memetics. My academic background, although somewhat
antiquated,
>covers subjects like Linguistics, Psychology and
Education.
>
>It is possible that you have covered the following
questions in
>the past, in which case I shall appreciate it if you
could give
>me some guidance as to where I can delve in the
archives:
>
>1. Does all knowledge consist of memes or
memeplexes?
>2. Are all memes received/perceived through sensory
>perception?
>3. Is it also possible to acquire memes through
experience,
>where the knowledge is not the direct result of recent
>communication?
>
>Any explanation, reference to websites or other media
will be
>sincerely appreciated.
>
>Pieter Bouwer
Hi Pieter & welcome,
(your name sounds awfully Dutch, well it's no so
strange when you're from South Africa)
Here's a link that triggered my enthusiasm for
memetics.
http://www.memes.org.uk/extracts/SBOct1998Ch1.html
It's the first chapter of The Meme Machine by Susan
Blackmore, one of the chiefs of memetics. You may
find the entire book useful and fascinating,
as did I.
There is still controversy going on on whether on
the definition of a meme. As far as I know there are
mainly two ends of the spectrum. On the one end you
have those who argue that the def. should be
restricted to including only the behavior and
cultural artifacts (planes, trains & automobiles etc.)
and not its mental sources or instigators (ideas,
schemes, thoughts etc...). On the other, those who
believe that the mental component should also be
included.
Most generally, a meme is anything cultural that is
transmittable from one member of the culture to
another. This does not require a recipient and
transmitter per se. Memes can lie dormant in the brain
of some host until the moment arises to transmit it
to a potential recipient. New memes are created by
interaction in meme-processing facilities MPF
(the brain in humans) of already existing memes in a
set of MPF of hosts. The set may consist of only a
single member (eureka moments, moments of creativity
etc.), or several members such as team-play in science
or at `meetings'.
So to answer your questions:
1. All knowledge that can be captured
in language (or in general, some protocol of
communication) is memetic since it then can be
transmitted to other humans. I don't know if
transmittable knowledge is synonymous to plain
`knowledge' though, it depends on how you define
knowledge.
2. In humans: yes. Perception is the receptor of memes.
But in general, perception is not relevant per se.
In distant AI, transmission of memes will happen
electronically.
3. Yes. We all have our 'personal' moments of
originality and creativity. If we didn't, new memes
would not surface and cultural evolution would not
be possible.
Philip.
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