Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA14820 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 4 Feb 2002 23:40:46 GMT Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 10:35:32 +1100 Subject: Re: Apoptosis Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed From: John Wilkins <wilkins@wehi.edu.au> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In-Reply-To: <1199283767-24610066@smtp.clarityconnect.com> Message-Id: <E16A14FF-19C7-11D6-9BE7-003065B4D1F0@wehi.edu.au> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.480) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Forgive the top posting:
Apoptosis is the genetically controlled death of cells based on the
signals they receive from their neighbours. It is a form of cellular
altruism that makes sense only at the level of organism selection -
those organisms that have a failure of apoptotic mechanisms in some of
their cells end up with cancer or developmental malformations or
diseases like elephantisis.
Memes could only be "programmed" to extinguish themselves if they were
carried as part of a developmental program for a larger memeplex. And
instance might be the teaching of billiard ball physics to students
before they learn about the joys of QM and relativity theory.
A better instance might be the "idea gas law" - teach them that first,
then start teaching them about its failures, under P's that make van der
Waals forces significant, etc. In this respect those propaedeutic memes
might be seen as scaffolding for later more adaptive memes in the
context of more sophisticated "ecologies" (ie, technologies).
On Tuesday, February 5, 2002, at 03:07 AM,
<rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com> wrote:
> Hello Kenneth
>
> Little confused by the question. Not sure how mutation rate links in to
> apoptosis. Martyrdom would be a rough correlate to apoptosis i suppose
> although the analogy between cell death for genes and person death for
> memes is not a great one. Closer would just be death of an organism for
> the kin selection advantages and death of a human and the memes he/she
> carries for the advantage in propagating those memes. We have hashed
> over martyrdom repeatedly on this list especially in the wake of the
> September bombings.
>
> In terms of memes that alter other memes mutation rates I guess one
> could
> point to democracy and the scientific method. Both of these memes
> survive because of their value as forces for generation and selection of
> other memes. Genetic analogies would be all the genes that promote and
> control recombination.
>
> Ray Recchia
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be>
> To: <kennethvanoost@myrealbox.com>
> Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002 16:38:48 +0100
> Subject: Apoptosis
>
>> Hi all, a question !?
>>
>>
>> Apoptosis, the death response of cells.
>> Is there a parallel in neurobiology, i/e/, is the mutation rate of
>> memes linked
>> to the death of other memes !?
>>
>> Anyone !?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Kenneth
>>
>
>
> ===============================================================
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>
>
-- John S Wilkins Head, Communication Services The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Parkville, Victoria, Australia=============================================================== 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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