Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA18504 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 13 Feb 2002 14:56:40 GMT X-Originating-IP: [137.110.248.206] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Words and Memes Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 06:51:05 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F76VigexaJ2ul600006fe5@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 13 Feb 2002 14:51:06.0091 (UTC) FILETIME=[DD6DCBB0:01C1B49D] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Why are memes any
> > different?
>
>Genes have a well-defined boundary. They can't be equated with any old
>thing. They're not "everywhere" in the figurative sense.
>
>Ted
>
>
Not true. Biologists are still arguing about what constitutes a gene and
genes commonly refer to every feature of every plant and animal on earth.
Some writers say that proteins have as much influence on how features are
expressed as DNA does. Many features are expressed through the actions of
more than one gene and the times when they are turned on or off. There
seems to me to be almost as much confusion in the literature defining genes
as there is in our effort to define memes. Biologists seem to be having
trouble deciding where to draw the line, too. Maybe the line isn't
important. But since there is a morpheme in language, it seems to me there
should be some similar smallest unit that defines the rest of life's memes.
Grant
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