Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id FAA12225 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 21 Jan 2002 05:27:10 GMT To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Message-Id: <AA-A7D3310A52EA7AB7231794D7FFDD861B-ZZ@homebase1.prodigy.net> Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 00:23:16 -0500 From: "Philip Jonkers" <PHILIPJONKERS@prodigy.net> Subject: Re: The necessity of mental memes Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Keith:
> "Meme" is similar to "idea," but not all ideas
are memes. A
>passing idea which you do not communicate to others,
or one which
>fails to take root in others, falls short of being a
meme. The
>important part of the "meme about memes" is that
memes are subject to
>adaptive evolutionary forces very similar to those
that select for
>genes. That is, their variation is subject to
selection in the
>environment provided by human minds, communication
channels, and the
>vast collection of cooperating and competing memes
that make up human
>culture. The analogy is remarkably close. For
example, genes in cold
>viruses that cause sneezes by irritating noses spread
themselves by
>this route to new hosts and become more common in the
gene pool of a
>cold virus. Memes cause those they have successfully
infected to
>spread the meme by both direct methods
(proselytizing) and indirect
>methods (such as writing). Such memes become more
common in the
>culture pool.
True, but this goes for any evolutionary process.
Better ways to adapt always prevail and dominate
and drive the less blessed ways to adapt by
claiming and draining the bulk of the resources.
Philip.
===============================================================
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 : Mon Jan 21 2002 - 05:46:56 GMT