Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id DAA02497 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 28 Jan 2002 03:31:19 GMT Message-ID: <00d201c1a7b3$adde5be0$5e2ffea9@oemcomputer> From: "Philip Jonkers" <philipjonkers@prodigy.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020125225906.02c5bc50@pop.cogeco.ca> <5.1.0.14.0.20020127115247.02c647d0@pop.cogeco.ca> Subject: Re: Selfish meme? Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002 19:24:28 -0900 Organization: Prodigy Internet Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Philip:
> >What property should a meme have in order for you to call it a meme?
Keith:
> Information content and transmissibility.
I agree, but words like horse and cow do that too they, perhaps
subconsciously,
descriptions like, 4 legged, ridable, herbivores, producers of milk, meat
etc.
Both words are examples of short-hand representations of a whole list of
properties. They spread as memes because it is advantageous to use in
language
instead of each time having to explain in a lot of words what could be done
in
one (horse or cow).
I agree, they are not `exciting' memes. Too basic too boring, but they carry
meaning nonetheless as they all stand for a list of unique properties.
Philip:
>> >From
> >the looks of your reply it seems a meme should have meaning. But that
again
> >every word has a meaning because if you omit any word in a sentence
either
> >its meaning is changed or the sentence becomes non-sensical. Consider the
> >trivial sentence: 'The bird flies to its nest.' and try to omit any word
> >without
> >changing its meaning. Therefore every word has a meaning and every word
is
> >memetic as
> >it can be transmitted to other hosts.
Keith:
> The trouble with using "meaning" is that it is highly subjective. "Horse"
> or "cow" are just word pointers to objects. I don't consider such words
> memes. Memes that spread like wildfire and massively affected human
> history are "horses can be ridden!' and "you can make an eatable substance
> that will keep from cow milk!"
Now usefulness in survival (or usefulness in economic exploitation)
comes into play ontop of the descriptive (pointer) meaning.
Keith:
> > > Memes don't have to be expressed in words. You would not have to use
a
> > > single word to show someone how to chip out a "killer frisbee" a
million
> > > and a half years ago, and the learned songs of birds and whales are
memes
> > > without words.
Philip:
> >Precisely so. According to the latest poll here on the list we have
> >identified four
> >modes of transmission: verbal, depiction, and ...?? When AI machines
emerge
> >they will too produce memes (see the Meme-Machine) and transmission of
> >memes will happen entirely electronic as software exchange between
`smart'
> >computers.
Keith:
> How memes are transmitted is not in my opinion very interesting. Why
> people are affected by some and not by others is far more interesting to
me.
I agree with that, it's just that the invention of language meant a quantum
leap
in the transmittability of memes and today is the primary mode of
transmission.
Philip.
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