Re: virus: Memes and Genes

Dave Pape (davepape@dial.pipex.com)
Wed, 22 Jan 1997 22:04:14 GMT

At 13:19 21/01/97 -0600, Ken Boyd wrote:
>On Wed, 15 Jan 1997, Dave Pape wrote:
>
>> I have a genetic life, involving my genetic profile and how the being which
>> that specifies interacts with other genetic organisms. I also have a memetic
>> life, in that I'm a memetic entity, and the memes which give rise to me
>> interact with other (people's) memes, changing me, changing them...
>>
>> Question: Are there many memes which don't help their hosts genetically,
>> which still thrive in the meme pool?
>
>If the selection effect against is not measurable, the memes will
>thrive--whether ideas or genes. Naming instances is harder.

Yeah, I know. I agree with the point about selection pressure being (after a
fashion) inversely related to the freedom-from-genes of successful memes...
so what do you think?

1 Do modern (cultural, technological) developments really mean that a
lot of selection pressures have been lifted from human genes?
2 Does this mean that there are more daft memes (daft meaning
non-genetically-helpful) out there than there were before? Is this what it
means when a society becomes decadent?

Dave Pape
===============================================================================
The memetic equivalent of a G3 bullpup-design assault rifle blowing a full
clip at my opponent. (Alex Williams 1996)

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