RE: virus: Memetics: our obligations

Chitren Nursinghdass (Chitren.Nursinghdass@ens.insa-rennes.fr)
Thu, 26 Jun 1997 13:06:53 +0200


Hi Richard,

>>When will the script be e-published ?
>>
>>Spread the good memes, like Calvin does. ;>
>
>I'm not convinced that giving my work away is an effective way to spread
>memes. Read Cialdini.

Well I think it IS a good way. As I mentioned before I feel marooned on a
desert island here. I'm only a student in France. Well, an engineer now
but let's just say I'm a perpetual student.

Richard, you don't know just how difficult it is to find English books
here unless you specifically order them. However, we do have net access
and that enables me to find some interesting texts online.

De Rosnay's "The Macroscope" is available online on the PCP site,
Kevin Kelly's "Out of Control" on the Absolut Vodka site. Excerpts
from "Evolutionary Psychology", Howard Bloom's "The Lucifer Principle".

Words from Richard Dawkins' lectures, about Science, and Education and
Religion.

Dennett's ideas about AI and cognition and basically everything at
Tufts University.

Feynman's NASA Challenger investigation.

Extracts from the memesets of Hawking, Gould, Gribbin, Einstein, Plato,
Weinberg, Sirag, Sarfatti, Penrose, etc...

Eric Drexler's "Coming Era of Nanotechnology".

Darwin's works.

And all the people who write texts (that's work for them too) and put
them online for free access.

It's a matter of education for the people. I agree not all people
have net access (yet). But it's a treasure trove for the real student.
It's food for thought.

I won't read your book in any other language except English because
that's the only sure-fire way of interfacing your memeset with mine.

Which is why I'm very grateful to anybody who graciously puts his work
online. Like William Calvin who has also e-published all of his books.
Otherwise I probably would never have known of his work on cortical
representations from "How Brains Think" and "The Cerebral Code".

Think about the impact your e-book could have. A sure way of accelerating
the shift to a better understanding of nature.

You're already famous and (I suppose) rich and rewarded by the success
of the paper book. That's why I said in a previous post "Do you still
need the money ?"

I think it would do much for the education of people if you would also publish
an electronic version.

Because I think your work is important for our future and for the advancement
of science and of people's life (no matter what some think).

It's an exciting time for you to be alive and to have spent your own time
making a book about ideas which are still termed proto-science or.

I think you are privileged because during your lifetime you will actually
witness the paradigm shift you are waiting for. Not many people or
visionaries or scientists can claim that.

Cheers,

Yash.