Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 11:44:46 -0400
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: "Mark M. Mills" <mmills@fastlane.net>
Subject: Re: Measuring Memes
In-Reply-To: <19990615124218.AAA22512@camail2.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.2
At 08:40 AM 6/15/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>How could information be transmitted if not through every link in
>>the chain?
>
>This may be the memetic dilemma. Memes are the quanta of culture- what
>are the energy levels?
You are touching on something that interests me.
Your use of the term 'quanta' suggests a nuclear physics model. As such,
the term has no direct association with evolution. In our physical models;
electrons, protons, neutrons never change. They don't evolve.
It think it important to link memetics to evolution. Memetics is a child
of Darwinism. If anything, it is the 'non-DNA' based branch of Darwinist
theory. We know a great deal about how DNA plays a role in Darwinian
evolution of species. It is not so clear what plays a similar role, if
anything, in Darwinian evolution of culture.
At least that is how I see it. I support the name of our journal here,
'Journal of Memetics, Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission.'
Here is a question. Do you think memetics is Darwinian? Do you think the
issue important?
Mark
===============================================================
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