Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id BAA05519 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 29 Jan 2002 01:14:57 GMT Message-Id: <200201290110.g0T1Ajr02761@terri.harvard.edu> Subject: Re: Meme bonding Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 20:10:53 -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 salice@gmx.net -
>It's not memetic because the termites don't copy the design of a
>mound from other cultures (as far as i know).
Where are the boundaries of cultures? I don't bow to mecca, and yet I
certainly know of people who do. Termites as well might 'know of'
(chemically) other termites (usually as enemies, if they get that close),
and, yeah, mound builders and log dwellers don't mix. Or do they? Don't
know enough about termites.... But mounds change in reaction to soil
composition, climate, and growth factors, as well as the simple
destruction from animals and weathers. That cultural artefacts have
changing aspects due to environmental forces is, perhaps, all that is
needed to show cultural evolution, and all that cultural evolution is and
ever has been. So what if we're in automobiles where we were once on
horses?
Termites are perhaps as different, or more so, than muslims and yankees.
- Wade
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