From: "Aaron Agassi" <agassi@erols.com>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: Fwd: The adman is a PC
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 12:21:25 -0400
In-Reply-To: <37D532E0.9E0024AC@pacbell.net>
The debate is over what preference at what point. And I see no clear
criteria under which this question may be answered.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
> Of Bill Spight
> Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 1999 11:45 AM
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Fwd: The adman is a PC
>
>
> Dear Wade,
>
> I think this story highlights an important point that memetics
> must address. In many optimizations, instruction beats variation
> and selection. The computer program followed an instructive
> approach, the unskilled, untutored humans followed a generate and
> select approach.
>
> In the competion for survival, which is ultimately a question of
> selection, how is instruction incorporated? For genetic evolution
> we do not need instruction. But instruction seems to be intrinsic
> to memetic evolution, not just because we observe it, but because
> it succeeds.
>
> >From the N Y Times online article by Natalie Angier:
>
> Dr. Goldenberg and Dr. Mazursky, who are in
> the school of business, and Dr. Solomon, of
> the physics department, designed the program
> to counter a hoary principle in creativity theory
> that the most original ideas are born of utter
> freedom, a shifting of paradigms, a circling of
> the square, a streaming of consciousness, a
> squelching of the internal editor.
>
> Instead, they argue, their work on templates
> indicates that constraining options and
> focusing thought in a specific, rigorous and
> discerning direction may yield comparatively
> fresher results.
>
> "To suspend criticism and think any idea is
> possible or good may ultimately be destructive
> to creativity," said Dr. Goldenberg.
>
> I do not know if they characterized current creativity theory
> correctly, but in brainstorming the first phase is the production
> of ideas without criticism; then the best ideas are selected.
>
> IMHO, one thing pertinent to memetics that this research shows is
> that the evolutionary approach to problem solving is a weak
> method in the area of advertising, something that is well known
> in general. (It also demonstrated the relevance of certain
> factors in advertising.)
>
> How memetics meshes with problem solving is a very interesting
> question, I think. <s>
>
> Best,
>
> Bill
>
> ===============================================================
> 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
>
===============================================================
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