From: "Hans-Cees Speel" <hanss@zondisk.sepa.tudelft.nl>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 10:55:01 +0000
Subject: Re: Critical thinking in memetics/relax!
> While your criticsm of the not so scientific writings of some
> "scientists" is valid, I appreciate easy to read information about areas
> of science in which I am interested but do not necessarily want to
> specialise. I have been grateful, for example, to John Gribbin for
> demistifying quantum mechanics.
I agree fully. I adore Dawkins for writing so that I feel that
evolutionary science is exiting!
Is the purpose of this
> list to narrow down the possible number of participants in memetic
> science to a select few?
I was one of the people with the idea of this list in the first
place, and it is not I assure you (I am sure Aaron will agree on
that). An email list is not a place for peer review, but
more for sparring on ideas and getting information. This
does not mean you cannot express your opinion on all kinds
of things. Aaron feels that memetics is under attack or could be,
which has probably to do with the fact that he is well known, and
thus hears a lot of these things in the states. I myself think for
instance that the Brodie book is cool, not neccesarily very
scientific, but do all books need to be that? My concern is that it
provoked my creative side of thinking and that is that.
Papers in JOM need to be scientific, not things on this list.
I would suggest that many list members are
> feeling alienated by some of the sharp criticisms that result from posts
> of late. I have been hesitant to mention some of my ideas for fear of
> disection, or worse, being ignored. I think it would be a great help if
> the "heavies" on this list lightened up a little.
I invite everyone to use this list for what it is meant: to exchange
ideas, questions and so on. No-one owns this list (well legally I
suppose the board of editors of JOM does) and as long it is not about
individuals, but their ideas, it is ok to critise.
greetings
Hans-Cees
ps I will be on holiday mext week.
Theories come and go, the frog stays [F. Jacob]
-------------------------------------------------------
Hans-Cees Speel
Managing Editor "Journal of Memetics Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission"
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