Message-Id: <199712231425.IAA00143@dns.night.net>
Subject: Re: testing memetics
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 97 08:24:54 -0600
From: Mark Mills <mmmills@onramp.net>
To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>>I don't consider each neuronal event a meme. I do think that every
>>systemic neuronal event is memetic, though.
>>
>>I suspect I'm tending to favor more of a systemic definition for memes. A
>>meme is not a physical 'thing,' but a system that has coherence at a
>>specific scale and frequency domain. The meme has to have a 'active
>>behavior' to identify it, a 'reproductive method' to propagate it, and a
>>substrate to stablize processes (active and reproductive). This
>>definition offers some advantages in information theory, but more
>>importantly, it offers a framework to include both 'instinct' and
>>'experience' in the memetic picture.
>
>When you say "systemic", I'm tempted to think "emergent".
Ton,
Thanks for the comment. I've given it a lot of thought. I'm a bit
surprised my response is so short.
I can accept your linkage between 'systems' and 'emergent' features. A
system's behavior is greater than the sum of the parts, etc. Something
new always emerges from a system. Perhaps, 'emergent' features always
indicate 'systemic' activity.
>How about viewing
>memes as emergent properties of neuronal events, ...
Basically, I agree. I wonder if we are agreeing on the context, though.
I see memetic activity emerging soon after the first neural system
evolves, at least 600 million years ago.
Mark
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit