Re: virus: Fw: L- and G-memes (was: Re: Measuring Memes)

Eric Boyd (6ceb3@qlink.queensu.ca)
Sun, 20 Jun 1999 09:55:12 -0400

Hi,

Tim Rhodes <proftim@speakeasy.org> writes on the subject of: virus: Fw: L- and G-memes (was: Re: Measuring Memes)

Interesting message and ideas, Tim. I think your L-memes and G-memes are similar to Blackmore's 'copy the instructions' and 'copy the product', respectively. (it is the same kind of divide, although I think your terms are more confusing). What really threw me for a loop is when Blackmore showed how 'copy the instructions' would gradually come to dominate any instance of Universal Darwinism -- and we see evidence of that effect in such places as

(a) the evolution of spoken language
(b) the creation of text
(c) the vast technological communication systems of today.

Each of which enhansed the ability to copy the instructions. DNA, of course, is 'copy-the-instructions' all the way -- she speculated that Lamarkism, even if it had ever been present in biology, would have faired badly.

ERiC