From: "B. Lane Robertson" <metaphy@hotmail.com>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Teamed Up
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 13:45:54 PDT
I like the idea (original?) that baseball requires
a more complex pattern be replicated (the dynamics
represented by a diamond rather than the dichotomy
of a back-and-forth, or 4 sided tennis "meme"-- or
"unit of patterned behavior"); since the baseball
pattern is more complex-- thus more ordered, and
more stable-- it would seem that the unit being
replicated would be more viable.
The variables being looked at are then,
complexity, order, stability, (viability)... and
replicability. Also brought into question is the
definition of a meme (that it require unity,
pattern, and behavior). Implied is that the
pattern is defined according to its systemization,
is observed according to its behavior, and is
replicated AS A PATTERN ("replication" being
defined as the generalization of the pattern as
noted in the unity of observed behavior).
"Behavior" is not limited by this definition to
the physical behavior of a human subject... and
might include social behavior, particle behavior
or neural behavior, etc.
*Patterned* behavior suggests that the behavior
might be indicated by the pattern itself rather
than a measurement of the action-- so might be
noted in "location". Thus a meme so defined might
be indicated symbolically, or in an "isolated"
way... such as might be suggested by an artifact
or a photo, or any other graphic rendering which
represents behavior as a pattern removed from the
active components of this *unit*.
The questions then become: Is the unit of a
"baseball" pattern organized in such a way as to
allow it to influence other apparently distinct
units-- as suggested by the instantiation of
similar behaviors or similar patterns in these
other units? Can the unit thus be shown to be
more *viable* than a less complex, "tennis", unit?
AND, does this perspective conform to other
studies being done on game "memes"?
Obviously, I am more theoretical than experimental
in my approach. While I haven't gotten any
favorable responses from this approach on list, I
assume that it is not too far removed from the goals of the list to
warrent comment.
B. Lane Robertson
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