Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19980225202006.0092a4c0@voruta.vu.lt>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 20:20:06 +0200
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: Kastytis Beitas <kastytis.beitas@gf.vu.lt>
Subject: Re: Memetic Experience | And meme's anabiosis
In-Reply-To: <3.0.3.32.19980221155014.0079b670@pop.netaddress.com>
>Therefore:
>-Memes (informational structures) can not "survive" with-out or out-of a
>particular system;
Yes. But...
What about anabiosis analogy in memetics?
There is anabiosis problem in biology. 'Anabiosed' organism is non-live.
It's metabolism is stopped, there are no informational exchanges. In proper
conditions metabolism activates and 'ex-anabiosed' organism is live again.
For example, plant’s seed.
But the proper conditions are necessary, no proper conditions, no live
organism. And if organism is in anabiosis too long, his structure can lose
some essential features, and then organism can not activate at proper
conditions in future.
For example, plants’ seeds often are in hypobiosis (state similar to
anabiosis - metabolism is very slow, but not stopped; where is a limit
between very slow movement and non-moving?). They can lay many years in
soil waiting the right moment. And if this moment is too late, seeds die.
Some historian can read old manuscript in ancient language and find nice
joke in it (or may be song’s text). He can translate this joke and publish
it in Internet. This would be rebirth of joke (meme).
It is correct to say that this meme (joke) was in ‘memetic anabiosis’?
There are no peoples speaking this language now.
There are no ‘particular system’. But if some group of people learn to
speak read this language (for example, this hypothetical historian), the
system for this meme is recreated.
So ‘memetic anabiosis’ is possible?
Or is it possible in environment of other memes (this ancient language, for
example)?
Kastytis Beitas
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