Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 09:29:58 -0500
From: "Robert G. Grimes" <grimes@fcol.com>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: memetic engineering
> snip
> What I propose is that the human species sits at a unique crossroads
> between two divergent evolutionary trajectories. We are at the far end
> of evolution in the age of the organism. At the same time we are
> muddling about as contituents in an emerging sociocultural age. From the
> memetic "primordial soup" a new class of being steps forth. The adaptive
> concerns and cognitive nature of the emerging being(s) are not the same
> as those that have driven human evolution. Our capacity to direct these
> new bodies is therefore limited. It is for this reason that I remain
> skeptical of the idea that engineering, in its traditional and precise
> meaning, applies.
>
> >From this perspective human agents are not powerless. We have a great
> deal of control over the development of the emerging life forms. What I
> suspect, however, is that we will have to reexamine all previous
> conceptions of engineering. This is not like building aircraft or
> bridges. This is not like bio- or genetic engineering. Rather than
> operating as the one seeing all and controlling all relevant variables
> we must be willing to embrace a new role...that of the infectious agent
> in an institutional, cultural or organizational body.
>
> Advertising, propaganda and marketing technicians are representative of
> sanctioned forms this role has taken. But I keep wondering, shouldn't it
> be possible to infect in a less materialistic and consumer-focused
> manner? Isn't there a way to out-seduce the sanctioned seductress?
Snip
We react and respond to irritation and pleasure, cellular
responses
magnified from a host of cells, and possibly, if there is
"evolutionary
coherence" within a "new idea" (meme - if you would like),
certain things
persist and others lay by the wayside. We like to call some
of this the
result of "reason" as many would prefer to think that they
have "free will"
within the process. They forget pheromones, hormones,
neurotransmitters,
and a plethora of other things, known and unknown, that
truly act and
interact, oppose and coincide, resulting in lots of
"rational" activity on
the part of our organisms. Be that as it may, things will
continue that way
and, in the interaction, constant change will occur,
continuing the process,
ad infinitum...
Sort of makes one feel futile at times, but it still it is a
lot of "fun"
thinking we have a little to do with it.... Ah, those
pheromones and
neurotransmitters, I must regain my coffee cup and drink
some more
caffeine...
Cordially,
Bob
-- Bob Grimeshttp://members.aol.com/bob5266/ http://www.hotwired.com/members/profile/bobinjax/ http://www.phonefree.com/Scripts/cgiParse.exe?sID=28788 Jacksonville, Florida Bob5266@aol.com robert.grimes@mailexcite.com
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore....."
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