Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id DAA12480 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 12 Feb 2002 03:57:55 GMT X-Originating-IP: [137.110.248.206] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Memes Meta-Memes and Politics 1 of 3 (1988, updates 2002) Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 19:52:18 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F17RxXEv22YPKs00004d73@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 12 Feb 2002 03:52:18.0794 (UTC) FILETIME=[AAE92CA0:01C1B378] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: Memes Meta-Memes and Politics 1 of 3 (1988, updates 2002)
>Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 21:08:56 -0500
>
>Hi Keith Henson -
>
> >[*The essence of a gene is in its information. It is still a gene
> > "for hemoglobin" or "for waltzing behavior in mice" whether the
> > sequence is coded in DNA, printed on paper, or is written on
> > magnetic tape.]
>
>You continually mention that genes can be encoded onto magnetic tape, as
>if we could play this tape and create the lifeform that needed it.
>
>What, exactly, are you talking about?
>
>Genes in DNA are unique, are they not? How could anyone, outside of a
>science-fiction novel, replicate DNA from magnetic tape?
>
>- Wade
In an earlier post I referred to Eric Berne, Psychiatrist who specialized in
helping alchololics and other people with similar problems. In his theory,
he used to talk about the three ego states of Parent, Child and Adult. In
the Parent state, he said we replay the tapes of things our parents told us
and the games they taught us with their actions. He thought the losing
behaviors we learned were picked up as information from our parents and
siblings in childhood. He wrote his book back in 1964, so I don't think he
had heard of memes at the time, but the way he viewed behavior seems to fit
right in. A lot of his therapy was analyzing for cross transactions between
parent and child ego states.
He said: "Every individual has had parents (or substitute parents) and he
carries within him a set of ego states that reduce the ego states of those
parents (as he perceived them), and these parental ego states can be
activated under certain circumstances (exteropsychic functioning).
Colloquially: "Everyone carries his parents around inside him.""
"It should be noted that the Parent is exhibited in two forms, direct and
indirect: as an active ego state, and as an influence. When it is directly
active, the person responds as his own father (or mother) actually responded
("Do as I do"). When it is an indirect influence, he responds the way the
wanted him to respond. (Don't do as I do, do as I say.) In the first case
he becomes one of them; in the second he adapts himself to their
requirements.
"The Parent has two main functions. First, it enables the individual to act
effectively as the parent of actual chidren, thus promoting the survival of
the human race. Its value in this respect is shown by the fact that in
raising children, people orphaned in infancy seem to have a harder time than
those from homes unbroken into adolescence. Secondly, it makes many
responses automatic, which conserves a great deal of time and energy. Many
things are done because "That's the way it's done." This frees the Adult
from the necessity of making innumerable trivial decisions, so that it can
devote itself to more important issues, leaving routine matters to the
Parent."
A lot of what Berne says strikes a chord with the memetic point of view and
the transfer of information from parent to child. I think his theory of
Transactional Analysis also has some value in analyzing how information is
transmitted and used by people on a day-to-day basis. If I come up with
anything I think might be useful, I'll publish it here first and give you
guys a chance to tear it apart for me. ;-)>
Grant
P.S. The replication of DNA by magnetic tape can be done. It is possible to
write code in DNA. People at MIT are doing it already and a Dr. Hood in
Seattle has invented a machine that does it. All one would have to do is
encode the ATCG letters on a long magnetic tape and send it to someone who
has a DNA writing machine and the information would be memtically
transmitted -- that is, transferred from the medium of DNA to the medium of
human invention and treated like human language and, finally, transferred
back to the DNA medium. Isn't progress wonderful?
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