Histamemes

From: guin@oregon.uoregon.edu (Guiniviere Marie Curfman)
Newsgroups: alt.memetics
Subject: meme-histamines?
Date: 28 Oct 1994 04:58:13 GMT


Hi--I have been lurking here for a bit.  What I am wondering is if it is
possible to develop histamines for certain memes?  I find that I have a
strong reaction to memes of a religious orientation...hmmmmm.  Also, when
a host is infected by a meme, does that meme take up a certain quanta of
"space" that prevents other memes from replicating?  Do certain memes take
up more space than others?

[sigh] I guess that I have been infected by the meta-meme, although I am
not altogether unhappy about this...

-Guiniviere

From: nv91-asa@black28.nada.kth.se (Anders Sandberg)
Newsgroups: alt.memetics
Subject: Re: meme-histamines?
Date: 28 Oct 1994 11:51:16 GMT


Guiniviere wrote:
>Hi--I have been lurking here for a bit.  What I am wondering is if it is
>possible to develop histamines for certain memes?  I find that I have a
>strong reaction to memes of a religious orientation...hmmmmm.

Yes, I know the feeling. As soon as I see the word "Ethics" my blood-pressure
goes up. I think this is a memetic defence reaction, as many memes defend
themselves by making their host less likely to absorb competing memes by
filling them with strong emotions, which probably inhibit reading more memes
for a while. 

> Also, when
>a host is infected by a meme, does that meme take up a certain quanta of
>"space" that prevents other memes from replicating?  Do certain memes take
>up more space than others?

You only have a limited ability to concentrate and remember different things,
so memes must compete for attention and memory (memes requiring too much
trouble learning won't spread as fast as simple memes. Just look at songs,
short, bawdy songs spread faster than longer, complex songs). In the same
way you only have limited time transmitting the memes too. 


>[sigh] I guess that I have been infected by the meta-meme, although I am
>not altogether unhappy about this...

Yes, I have always wondered why the meme-meme is so popular in certain
circles.
What makes it so appealing?
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
nv91-asa@hemul.nada.kth.se   http://www.nada.kth.se/~nv91-asa/main.html
GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y

From: brock@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: alt.memetics
Subject: Re: meme-histamines?
Date: 1 Nov 1994 16:52:00 GMT


guin@oregon.uoregon.edu (Guiniviere Marie Curfman) writes:

>. . . when a host is infected by a meme, does that meme take up a certain
>quanta of "space" that prevents other memes from replicating?  Do certain
>memes take up more space than others?

I'd bet a meme does take a quanta of space, but I'm less certain whether or
to what extent that space can be reclaimed by another meme, and I'm equally
uncertain of how much space there is.  Whether a new meme prevents an old meme
from replicating may have more to do with the nature of the two memes than
with the nature of the carrier.  If the two memes are consistent (if I may
successfully express both of them), the memes may form a meme complex.  If two
memes are inconsistent (coding incompatible behaviors or behaviors which
reduce
a host's meme replicating potential when practiced together), either one of
the
memes will dominate, or the host becomes an ineffective meme propogator by
trying to express them both.

I assume new neural connections are established between active neurons (those
which are firing) and not between inactive neurons.  So a meme complex grows
as long as it is in control and ceases to grow when it loses control.  Whether
a meme complex maintains control seems to depend on external factors.  When
people become socially isolated, undernourished, sleep deprived, etc., they
usually become susceptible to reprogramming.  That susceptibility could be a
genetic strategy allowing an individual to join a new social group when it
becomes separated from a social group.  The old meme complex (rules of the old
social group) probably doesn't cease to exist as much as it becomes dormant,
encoded in regions of the neural network which are not activated in the new
social group.

>[sigh] I guess that I have been infected by the meta-meme, although I am
>not altogether unhappy about this...
>
>-Guiniviere

Be careful.  Too much introspection can drive you nuts.

Martin

From: morgan@skyler.arc.ab.ca (Sean Morgan)
Subject: Re: meme-histamines?
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 23:18:16 GMT


guin@oregon.uoregon.edu wrote:

> Hi--I have been lurking here for a bit.  What I am wondering is if it is
> possible to develop histamines for certain memes?	I find that I have a
> strong reaction to memes of a religious orientation...hmmmmm.  Also, when
> a host is infected by a meme, does that meme take up a certain quanta of
> "space" that prevents other memes from replicating?  Do certain memes take
> up more space than others?

Histamemes?
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Sean Morgan             |  ALBERTA | Integrated    | 6815 - 8 St NE
403/297-2628            | RESEARCH | Manufacturing | Calgary, AB
morgan@skyler.arc.ab.ca |  COUNCIL | Program       | Canada, T2E 7H7
http://www.arc.ab.ca    |          |               |

Subject: meme bait?
From: guin@oregon.uoregon.edu (Guiniviere Marie Curfman)
Date: 11 Nov 1994 04:12:50 GMT

thank you to all tho answered my post concerning anti-histamemes.  Now, my
question is:  What is it that a token meme promises to its' host in order
to be replicated in that host?  For example, the Fruitopia meme promises
that one will get a nice exotic tasting bottle of juice in exchange for
replication which=action.  Sure enough, if you replicate that meme, that
is exactly what you get--OR is it only what you THINK you are getting? Do
memes fufill our "free-will" fantasies, or do they dictate them?

[I told you that I had been infected by the Meta-Meme...]

-Guiniviere