From: <MemeLab@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 18:36:57 EDT
Subject: Re: Astrology
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
In a message dated 4/30/99 2:05:59 PM Central Daylight Time, aaron@mcs.net
writes:
>>Whether increases to procreation by the mechanisms you propose overcome the
losses I propose due to delayed/impeded mating is a question for empirical
study. Still, the horizontal transmission of astrological mating ideas
makes a good "brief example" on my web site for people who have never heard
of memes or thought contagions before. Most of us in America, after all,
witnessed people broaching astrological topics for mating purposes.<<
I think it makes a good example, and yes we are speculating about things that
should be addressable empirically. I agree that it is parasitic to our
mating behaviors. I was just speculating about whether they were more
symbiotic, or detrimental to biological fitness.
Something else occurred to me as well - it might also depend on how you
looked at this - whether from the male point of view, or from the female
point of view. Assume for a moment that males are less selective than
females in terms of sexual mating - this certainly is true for many other
species and it may or may not be true for humans.
If this were the case - then from the male point of view - astrology would
definitely seem to narrow the field arbitrarily. From the female point of
view on the other hand - it may include as many that the female might not
have otherwise considered - as it excludes. Or even possibly more? I might
point out anecdotally, that I have found in my experiences, more females than
males who believe in astrology - or at least talk about it openly, though
certainly some of each. (I notice those things because I was at one time an
amateur "astrologer"). I could also imagine many males having astrological
"conversions" upon meeting a prospective female who believes in astrology.
(That wasn't my case, however, I caught it from my parents).
Anyhow, fun things to speculate about.
-Jake
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