>Jason wrote:
>>Richard Brody wrote:
>>> that there are memes that are practical and useful, but not accurate.
>>> The scientific method doesn't help us with those, does it? Could it? I
>>> think so, if we made it a scientific goal to program ourselves with the
>>> most useful memes.
>
>>I don't think this is a reasonable goal... just as painting
>>everything the prettiest shade of blue isn't a reasonable
>>scientific goal.
>
>Exactly. Besides, how does one know if blue is the best? If the Chief
>Memetic Engineer says so? Can we adopt a standard we can compare the
>"usefulness" of memes against? Well... this would force us to believe in
>some Absolute Usefulness... (or Infinite Usefulness). I can see two ways o=
f
>qualifying a meme as "useful": (1) to compare with some standard or (2) obe=
y
>the Chief Memetic Engineer (possibly without questioning). (The third way:
>to wait for evolution does not seem to be too practical).
>
>How else are we going to measure "usefulness"? If we are not going to
>measure it, we are going to follow some prophet. Can anybody see any other
>logical solution? I think this is an important question.
*****************
I'll bite on this one since i never understood what Ricard meant in
the first place; Accurate against what frame of reference?
Memes can have two relationships with our genetic code. Symbotic
or parasitic. The symbiotic means that the success of the memepatterns
somehow has a positive effekt on the success of our genetic patterns.
The parasitic means that the memepattern simply freeloads on our
symbiotically developed skills of spreading memes. Since we are being
more and more controlled by parasitic memes; i.e. getting a new state of
the art computer rather than another kid, or spending so much time
listening to bad news on the TV that we decide the world is not fit
for kids in the first place; its important to specify what you intend your
memes to be usefull for. Making babys, securing the ones you allredy have,
or entering further into virtual reality. (thats Meme Heaven)
It's still difficult to measure usefullness but keeping the two diffrent
scales,
biological and cultural, apart is a nessesary step on the way.
*********
>Thank you, Jason. This is exactly what I meant. I see a more interesting
>question I have been trying to bring up: if genes evolve to be well suited
>to their environment, what is the direction memes evolve towards? Well
>suited to what?
*********
Well it used to be humans; then it became books, radio,television and
eventually it'll be virtual reality and artificial intelligence.
Of course there will always be a few evolutionary dead enders left
to keep us company. Or am i beeing pessimistic today?
>OK. Let's make it a scientific goal to program ourselves with the most
>useful memes so we can lead a principled life. Those who are not with us
>are against us and will be disinfected (not to worry, it's a painless proce=
ss).
I newer figured out what that absolute truth Virians were suposed to hold wa=
s,
Somebody please infect me, i'd like to test my immune system!
************
Peter =D6kner
okner@arch.kth.se
************