Re: the earth revolves around the sun

From: Wade T. Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 16 2002 - 00:34:02 GMT

  • Next message: Wade T. Smith: "RE: the earth revolves around the sun"

    Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id AAA22742 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 16 Jan 2002 00:38:25 GMT
    Message-Id: <200201160033.g0G0XxS23199@sherri.harvard.edu>
    Subject: Re: the earth revolves around the sun
    Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 19:34:02 -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 Discussion 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
    

    Hi Ray Recchia -

    >Which of these phrases memetically is closest

    What if I see no need for that adverb? (Because I don't. I think, in
    fact, that it is specious.)

    The phrase that is most _synonymous_ (and I see no need to avoid
    'grammatically'), is - "a. Terra circles Sol" which is a symbol
    translation itself.

    >If we adopt behavior based meme approach then since "the berth devolves
    >around the bun" involves using the mouth in a similar way then you would
    >have to pick d.

    Well, behavior is not just phonemes.

    Behavior is expression. What I'm saying is that it is _not memes_ of any
    type that are being expressed. The meme _is_ the expression, not the
    idea, or the thought, or the concept, or the fact, under, above, through,
    or behind the expression.

    >Actually though it is a trick question. The real answer is none of the
    >above. The key is 'say'. These are written phrases and under a behavior
    >based memetics you would be unable to relate any of them to a spoken "The
    >earth revolves around the sun because the behavior involved in writing is
    >not the same as the behavior involved in speaking.

    Completely true. The behavior used to express orbiting bodies is rich and
    varied, involving models, language, physical activity, mathematical
    constructs, etc, etc. But in each case, there is an audience prepared,
    hopefully, to understand.

    >When dealing with memes that can be transmitted easily through
    >imitation a behavioral memetics might be a more accurate method of
    >collecting data

    I totally agree. In fact, staying right here and standing pat, IMHO it is
    the only way to get any data at all that is usable.

    >I see no reason to unnecessarily impose a
    >filter this limited on the field.

    I prefer to see it as focus.

    - Wade

    ===============================================================
    This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 16 2002 - 00:48:10 GMT