Re: Science fiction roots of memetics (was Words and memes)

From: Wade T.Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 13 2002 - 05:51:07 GMT

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Subject: Re: Science fiction roots of memetics (was Words and memes)
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 00:51:07 -0500
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From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
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    Hi Keith Henson -

    >I won't post the next section since it is not on the topic, you can find it
    >in the book, but it is one of my very favorite passages from Heinlein,
    >where Slaton Ford is yanked out of a building depression by people needing
    >him.

    Yes, psychometrics. The whole Methuselah series of Heinlein I have not
    read. Too talky....

    So, thanks for all of your incredibly efficient OCR work. (Much better
    than any of my attempts, few as they are.)

    >"You see? The truth about his original intentions is a secret between him
    >and his God. You don't know and neither do I. But the dynamics of the
    >proposition are a separate matter. Zaccur, by the time my rumor gets back
    >to you three or four times, even you will begin to wonder." The
    >psychometrician paused to stare at nothing while he consulted an intuition
    >refined by almost a century of mathematical study of human behavior. "Yes,
    >it will work. If you all want to do it, you will be able to make a public
    >announcement inside of twenty-four hours."

    'Memetic engineering' in a nutshell.

    - Wade

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