Re: virus: New List Member

Nathan Russell (frussell@frontiernet.net)
Tue, 01 Sep 1998 20:02:50 -0400


Robert Moritz wrote:

> >
> > If I have understood you a meme could be likened to a small program such
> > as a computer virus. This would like the clinical virus have it's own
> > agenda and self interests. It could be considered as having life as I
> > believe has been suggested in the case of the computer virus and it
> > would "live" in it's host either in a symbiotic or parasitic
> > relationship.
> >
>
> Please define what you mean by 'life'
>

I quite agree that a defination of 'life' is important, and it must be well
thought out. An example: The AP Biology teacher in my school had severtal
meetings over the summer with those of us who would be taking the course. He
defined life as 'a physiochemical system which acts violation of the second
law of thermodynamics' I was seized by an irresistable urge to smart off and
raised my hand "Mr. G., by your defination an air conditioner woud be alive".
He was speechless.

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> > It would then be desirable to avoid parasitic memes (especially
> > unsuccessful ones) and to seek colonization by symbiotic meme cultures
> > that protect the organism in regard to health and that otherwise create
> > conditions conducive to survival and growth. I suppose that in this
> > connection it could also be argued that If one had the right meme or
> > combination of memes one could achieve eternal life or big bucks;
> > hopefully both. Do I seemed to have grasped the Idea or perhaps I should
> > say been infected.
>
> Big bucks...possibly. Eternal life...hafta part with ya there. Humans,
> as with all other multicellualer organisms, have a life which
> unfortunately has death hardwired into the programming. The only way
> that a meme could combat this would be to cause the host to extend the
> host's phenotype in such a way as to...well i cant say, we havent done
> it yet. my best guess would be selective manipulation of a cell's
> chromosome's telomeres. redirect cellular reproductive tides. i
> digress...what i mean to say is that memes alone could only indirectly
> influence such a feat.
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Agreed.

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> > Of course, in transmission
> > > there are all kinds of mutation going on, so
> > > two people never really hold the same idea.
> > > But if you could track the macro movements
> > > of an idea, I'm sure that the study of memes
> > > would be justified.
> >
> > They do sound like interesting critters. Is there purported an emotional
> > equivalent to the meme?
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> propaghanda perhaps?
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>

Or the waves of applause and pride often seen in sports stadiums.

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> > Ciao!
> >
> > Bones
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-Nathan