Re: Do all memes die out or evolve? I think not.

From: Kenneth Van Oost (Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be)
Date: Mon Jan 28 2002 - 16:41:40 GMT

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    From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be>
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    Subject: Re: Do all memes die out or evolve?  I think not.
    Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 17:41:40 +0100
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    Still running,....
      ----- Original Message -----
      From: Dace
      To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
      Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 7:11 PM
      Subject: Re: Do all memes die out or evolve? I think not.

      Joe Dees:
       
    > I think that some memes reach an optimized limit state that nevertheless
    > retains their functionality and usefulness. For instance, I do not see
    > the multiplication tables either dying out or evolving.
       
      Are you backing off from your assertion that memetics is the evolutionary theory of meaning?
       
      Just because memes are liable to arrive at an optimal state doesn't mean they aren't still products of evolution. The same thing occurs in the natural environment all the time. Organisms get to a certain point where they fit their ecosystem perfectly. Then the ecosystem gets washed away, and only those that are able to further evolve will survive. In the event of a general breakdown of civilization, multiplication tables would have little use and might disappear. The other possibility is a genetically engineered leap in intelligence that could render multiplication tables unnecessary. In that case, if they evolved into much greater complexity, then they might be useful again and would persevere.
       
      What about the notion that all Euopean currencies are replaced by one
      single one !?
      The Belgium Frank fitted its environment perfectly, now due to a political
      discission it has little use left and disappears at the end of February.
       Or do you see the Euro as the next step of evolution of money !?

      By the way, tests are on the way, to investigate how fast our Belgium-
      Euo- coins and notes will be replaced by others out of the community.
      Already, accoding to the latest tests, 10 % of ' our ' money has been
      replaced_ by Dutch and French pieces, but that is not a surprise.
      Could this affect memetics !?

      Regards,

      Kenneth

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