Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 08:30:52 +0200
From: Mario Vaneechoutte <Mario.Vaneechoutte@rug.ac.be>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Copying, imitation, transformation, replication
Aaron Lynch wrote:
> At 09:17 AM 9/15/98 +0200, Mario Vaneechoutte wrote:
> >
> >I should disagree here. Genes are replicated without transformation. Just
> like
> >printed texts are. That, together with the fact that both (genes and
> texts) are
> >physical entities and that both have unlimited informational content (unlike
> >pottery), is the reason why I would consider the true analogy of memes and
> genes
> >to be outside of our mind.
>
> Mario,
>
> I'd refer you to section 15 of my paper to see just what I am talking about
> in relation to genes. When we say that a "gene" is copied, we do not mean
> that a DNA molecule's tertiary structure is copied, for instance. This
> means that the molecule can look quite different under the microscope. Nor
> do we usually mean that its methylations are copied. We especially do not
> mean that its placement of different isotopes is copied. Nor its
> vibrational states, rotational states, locations of dissociated H+, etc. It
> is always with respect to some system of abstractions that an entity is
> "copied." We have decided that the most useful system of abstractions with
> respect to which we discern gene "copying" is the one centered on several
> nucleotide bases.
I only claim that you can copy the same informational content using a simple
processor like a press or a polymerase, without transformation of the
information. When I hear a word, this observation will lead to several
transformation in my mind before I eventually can utter a noise which can have
the same informational content to others. Having materially encoded information
as in nucleotide strands or as on sheets of paper no such transformation is
needed.
Of course, I am not talking about the molecule, I am referring to the potential
of information in these molecules or texts.
>
>
> --Aaron Lynch
>
> http://www.mcs.net/~aaron/thoughtcontagion.html
>
> ===============================================================
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> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
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-- Mario Vaneechoutte Department Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology & Immunology University Hospital De Pintelaan 185 9000 GENT Belgium Phone: +32 9 240 36 92 Fax: +32 9 240 36 59 E-mail: Mario.Vaneechoutte@rug.ac.beJ. Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit/
The memetic origin of language: humans as musical primates http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit/1998/vol2/vaneechoutte_m&skoyles_jr.html
=============================================================== 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