Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19990517232520.00be1258@popmail.mcs.net>
Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 23:25:20 -0500
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: Aaron Lynch <aaron@mcs.net>
Subject: Re: Meme Conference & PhD
In-Reply-To: <000301bea045$4c70c8c0$605195c1@paul>
At 10:40 AM 5/17/99 +0200, Paul Marsden wrote:
>I was planning on attending this conference, which will undoubtedly be a
>landmark event in memetics, and write up the conference in a paper for the
>JoM. Unfortunately, a number of research students, (conducting research in
>memetics) have been banned from the critically important second day of the
>conference by the organiser, on the grounds that our PhDs are not yet
>completed (and no, I don't understand the logic either), but I am sure the
>organiser has the issue in hand of imparting the words of wisdom uttered
>during this "closed session" to the relevant journals so we all may benefit.
>But perhaps somebody more qualified than myself (any PhD relevant or not
>will do, I think) will be able to report directly to the JoM?
>
>Anyway, the focus of the conference has been passed on to me - and for your
>interest, here it is.
The question of whether "we all may benefit" depends upon how accurately
the works presented at the conference are represented in any summary paper.
Some articles and commentaries in our field may leave the conference
organizers placing a premium on accuracy of scholarship, and they may
therefore look to the PhD (in any field) as demonstrating at least a
nominal, if not quite standard, test for accurate scholarship. The PhD is
an imperfect indicator, especially in a new field, but I can at least see
the logic of using it this way.
--Aaron Lynch
http://www.mcs.net/~aaron/thoughtcontagion.html
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