Re: Apoptosis

From: Steve Drew (srdrew_1@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Feb 05 2002 - 22:49:57 GMT

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From: "Steve Drew" <srdrew_1@hotmail.com>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject:  Re: Apoptosis
Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 22:49:57 +0000
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    >Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 21:39:41 +0100
    From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be>
    Subject: Re: Apoptosis

    - ----- Original Message -----
    From: <rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 5:07 PM
    Subject: Re: Apoptosis

    >Little confused by the 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 !?

    >Hi Ray, and John and others who replied,

    I will try to eleborate,

    If memes were to be multiplicated ( replicated in numbers) do other
    memes
    die !? Allegedly, not ! They stay all the time somewhere, they can be/
    will
    be forgotten, there will be no longer a behavior/ trait/ habit attached
    to
    them_ they won 't die in the sense we all think about. They will not
    evolve
    further
    either.

    Which info allegedly ' dies ', old information has to go ( memory !?).
    Which memes die and does this influence the mutation- rate of any other
    meme/ memeplex !?
    If memes has to die to let any space for others does this affect the
    informa-
    tion- flow of any other meme/ memeplex !?

    And if memes commit suicide, or their death is controlled by others/
    their
    neighbours, to let others or themselves propagate, does this influence
    any
    mutation- rate/ information- flow of any other meme/ memeplex !?

    Is there a mechanism whci supposingly drives memes to ( commit) suicide_
    why such a mechanism if it should exist !?

    Regards,

    Kenneth<

    Hi Kenneth,

    That memes can die out i don't think is in much doubt. Artefacts left behind
    from previous civilisations often prompt hte question "what was it for?",
    similarly with ritualistic burial etc. We view them outside of thier
    culture, and so it means nothing. Sometimes some of the the cultural nuance
    can be revived such as ancient Egypt etc

    If i understand apoptosis correctly it means that as the cell becomes less
    efficient in function, dies, and is replaced by another, up to a point,
    beyond which it is not replaced, and we age and die.

    Not being a biologist, i don't know. What i would note is that we need to
    mive away from some of the biological metaphors that are being used. I have
    trouble thinking of a meme that commits suicide. Even the suicide meme needs
    to propogate to exist. :- )

    regards

    Steve

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