Re: Apoptosis

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Feb 05 2002 - 02:56:10 GMT

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    From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com>
    To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    Subject: Re: Apoptosis
    Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 21:56:10 -0500
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    >From: John Wilkins <wilkins@wehi.edu.au>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >Subject: Re: Apoptosis
    >Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 10:35:32 +1100
    >
    >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).
    >
    I'd nominate this for post of the month, if we had such a thing here.
    >
    >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
    >>>
    >>
    >>
    >>===============================================================
    >>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
    >>
    >>
    >--
    >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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    ===============================================================
    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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