Richard Dawkins Faith In Memes Is As Blind As A Christian's to God

[Scented Nectar]

This is another one of those moments where a good face/palm picture would feel exactly perfect for me to post.

[downbeatplumb]

yes, it is analogous to the evolution of genes, i fail to see your point. if memes exist then whether or not their predicted behaviour is similar in method to genetic evolution or not says nothing about it being a non-entity. just that it operates similar in style.

and where does it say in that video that a meme is nothing more than a concept? he even talks of a 'meme pool'. where would this meme pool exist? only inside our minds? like a soul? if something can't be measured then it is no science. memes cannot be measured. dawkins uses memes as a way to explain god. dawkins uses a nonmeasurable unit to describe why we think of god. it is not exact science. not even close.

Okay I'll use little words as you seem to be having trouble understanding simple ideas.

Memes are ideas that get exchanged between people and can be expanded on, evolve if you wish, over time.

But when the concept no longer exists in a viable environment then it can become extinct.

Example:

Meme: all swans are white.

Until recently this idea was dominent in europe in regard to swan colour.

Then people travelled to canada and low and behold there were black swans.

http://www.icrowds.net/.../2007/09/black_swan06.jpg

So the meme all swans are white was superceded. It changed it evolved. In that way it was a little like the evolution through genetics. do you see. DO YOU SEE.

Its a little like it evolution but it has no physical component, Richard Dawkins didnt say it didnt because its so fucking obvious from what he said that it didnt.

I hope that clears it up for you.

[Cecco]

in your mind, how does the word 'meme' differ from 'idea'? not at all it seems.

also, if anybody was going around saying 'all swans are white' then they were ignorant. using accurate scientific language you should say before the discovery of black swans 'all swans that i have encountered so far have been white'.

[The Omnissiunt One]

in your mind, how does the word 'meme' differ from 'idea'? not at all it seems.

also, if anybody was going around saying 'all swans are white' then they were ignorant. using accurate scientific language you should say before the discovery of black swans 'all swans that i have encountered so far have been white'.

Maybe we should have said that. But this example calls into question how much we can infer things from our everyday experience. Can we, for instance, assume that gravity operates throughout all of the universe? Can we assume that the laws of nature will be the same tomorrow as they are today?

As for memes, I'd say the concept is probably falsifiable in theory. We could spread idea x which would be popular, and idea y, which would be unpopular, and see how widely they are spread. Numerous examples seem to exist of this happening, as people have pointed out. Therefore, it would seem to be scientific.

[downbeatplumb]

in your mind, how does the word 'meme' differ from 'idea'? not at all it seems.

It defines a 'type' of idea and how those ideas are passed, changed, retained or discarded, it is a usefull shorthand.

So basically, yes a meme is a refined sort of idea.

Give that man a biscuit.

[Cecco]

what 'type' of idea does it define?

[Cecco]

interesting, everyone has gone quiet. does nobody know how to precisely define a unit of meme? 'a refined sort of idea' will not be in any textbooks i should imagine.

[Eilonnwy]

Or they haven't had the opportunity to respond yet. You only asked this yesterday.

[Cego_Colher]

an idea that catches on with a lot of people and can change. am least that's what I'm lead to believe.

and probably the reason people stop talking to you is because they don't care anymore. I don't know why I'm bothering to post.

also I can hardly see how you can claim that an idea doesn't exist.

[Cecco]

i think you're right. now they realise they have no answer, rather than concede that i may be making a tiny bit of sense -imagine that- they instead loose interest.

'i can hardly see how you can claim that an idea doesn't exist'

yes, that's what i've been saying (sarcasm). why did you even bother replying? you offered nothing apart from further whinge.