Date sent: Thu, 13 May 1999 00:42:37 +0100 To: virus@lucifer.com From: Dave Pape <davepape@dial.pipex.com> Subject: Re: virus: Maxims Send reply to: virus@lucifer.com
> At 22:02 10/05/99 -0600, you wrote:
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Joe E. Dees <joedees@bellsouth.net>
> >Sent: Monday, May 10, 1999 9:32 PM
> >
> >> What about, "Why is our root metaphor for memes viruses rather
> >> than genes?"
> >
> >I'll take a shot at a quick answer. Because memes are (often)
> >propagated horizontally rather than vertically. It is the
> >difference between infection (horizontal) and inheritance
> >(vertical). Of course we can also "inherit" memes from our
> >parents, but then again we can also inherit viruses. Moreover,
> >the closer you examine viruses and genes, the fuzzier the
> >difference becomes. Viruses are little more than a package
> >of genes. This answer is turning out to be not so quick
> >after all ... :-)
>
> Got any references to the blurred distinction between viruses and genes? I
> thought viruses were kind of the phenotype and genes the replicator, in
> which case if memes are a kind of replicator, comparing memes to viruses is
> only as sharp as the boundary between genes/viruses is fuzzy.
>
> DP
>
Don't go all Heisenbergian on me now...;~)