Re: Three Scientists and Their Gods

From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@cogeco.ca)
Date: Tue Jan 22 2002 - 09:42:33 GMT

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    Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 04:42:33 -0500
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    From: Keith Henson <hkhenson@cogeco.ca>
    Subject: Re: Three Scientists and Their Gods
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    At 01:08 AM 22/01/02 -0500, "Francesca S. Alcorn" <unicorn@greenepa.net>
      wrote:

    >I have been thinking about Aaron's idea that we should dispose of the word
    >meme, and call them replicators.

    I have often mentioned in my writing that you could replace "meme" with
    "replicating information pattern." Replicator is the inclusive class that
    incorporates genes, memes and computer viruses. Meme though is a short
    handy word and does not have much baggage (outside of meme discussion
    groups that is).

    Keith Henson

    >Then we could look at the process of replication, and how ubiquitous it
    >is. So I dug out my copy of Three Scientists and Their Gods, which IIRC,
    >Ed Fredkin is talking about information theory and the whole universe is a
    >computer. It strikes me that in his own way he is looking at a sort of
    >Grand Unifying Theory of replication of information. I am going to go
    >back and read it again, and wondered if anyone else has read it too, what
    >your thoughts were.
    >
    >frankie
    >
    >===============================================================
    >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 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



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