Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 14:12:36 -0700
From: Arel Lucas <arel@pacbell.net>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Genetics/Memetics analogy
Ton Maas wrote:
>
> Arel Lucas wrote:
>
> >I do not think that every experience represents a meme. (snip) Only replicable experiences that are
> >encoded in the ideosphere and can be spread to other brains in an encoded
> >state can be memes.
>
> Agreed. I don't know whether "replicable" is the defining criterium though.
(snip)
> we are shopping for isolate
> fragments, which we then store for later use (often to find they turn out
> to be a lot less moving or exciting when recycled out of context).
>
> Ton Maas
Yes, you're right. Replicable isn't enough. Behavior-change has to be
part of the definition, but is that enough? These fragments you mention
remind me of bits of tunes that stick in one's head, but which I'd prefer
to call "memids" (like plasmids), since they don't seem to be memes but
meme fragments. Such fragments do change behavior, but only to the
extent that they replicate themselves and loop. I really need to catch
up on my reading in this field.
I hope I'm not displaying embarrassing amounts of density or disconnected
-ness from the culture, but do you compose music, Ton Maas? For public
performance, that is? So far I only perform Cage's "Tacet" for myself,
or occasionally treat unwilling passers-by to solos on outdoor or airport
sculpture or some sounding substance that catches my fancy in my
backyard. Otherwise I listen to other peoples' organizations of sound.
--Arel Lucas
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