Re: What do geneticists think of memes?


"John Edser" <edser@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dos4d4$o06$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> "Anon." <bob.ohara@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Re: What do geneticists think of memes?
> > I'll just add a fourth to this:
> > 4. There is no good objective definition of a meme. For genes the
> > definitions are good enough that, even if the concept is fuzzy
around
> > the edges, we can still objectively identify most genes as genes
(i.e.
> > any reasonable and well informed person can do it). We can then
work
> > with this object, and (for example) transfer it into another
organism.
> > For memes, it's much more difficult to identify a meme as a meme,
rather
> > than a part of a meme or several memes (e.g. is religion a meme, or
a
> > collection?). This makes it much more difficult to work with as a
> > concept: if you can't identify a meme, you can't manipulate it, or
> > develop a mathematical model for how it behaves.
>
> JE:-
> Model genes, like model memes, simply delete all FITNESS epistatic
effects.
> Not a single trait empirically exists, i.e. has been documented within
> nature, that is just the simple sum of the fitness of each gene or
each meme
> that codes for it. The really big limitation to BOTH concepts is that
each
> meme, like each gene, remains 100% dependent on, i.e. 100% dependently
> selectable on exactly *WHAT* biological entity within NATURE?

Sufficiently mature human individuals.

Aren't you glad I let you know the answer! ;-)

"Memes" is a metaphor with drastically diminished Darwinian
dimensionality.

However, the existence of "memes" provides many people with an
opportunity to become
AEVASIVEly preoccupied with trying to dissect what it can possibly
mean.

Just be thankful for that our streets are made a bit safer because of
the mind-binding
effect of this - by Dawkins derived new little delightful intellectual
thumb-twiddling - device.

P


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The root of all evil? - Dawkins Documentary
    ... selection not being a very common phenomenon, ... Dawkins himself refers to genes are 'selfish cooperators'. ... what the biochemical nature of life itself and how it might have begun. ... parasitical is one manner in which a meme can operate, ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: The wirehead problem
    ... meme, or is the behavior of "building a PC" the real meme here? ... Memes are like genes - and not much like phenotypes. ... we have switched our focus from the genotype to ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)
  • Re: What do geneticists think of memes?
    ... Genes are inherited almost exclusively vertically (parent to ... >>the meme does. ... >>genetics math that can be transferred from genes to memes. ... >>memetics, it is anyone's guess as to whether individuation matters ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: OT: Local Optimization?
    ... The people who make the laws, usually instigate laws for their own ... > a local stability point with the genes most humans have had selected. ... Its a transient random meme that doesn't maximise numbers of all ... > talking as though it's a given assumption that religion is the source ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: What do geneticists think of memes?
    ... Genes are inherited almost exclusively vertically (parent to ... > the meme does. ... But most geneticists ... > memetics, it is anyone's guess as to whether individuation matters ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)