MEME MACHINE

By Dr. Susan Blackmore

Synopsis of the book by M G Hariharan

 m e First to
Me s It
ti
Wha
understand Replicators

Carbon + Hydrogen + Oxygen from Atmosphere form DNA

The carbon Hydrogen and oxygen combine for form DNA. Which are initial forma of
living organisms . These organisms can replicate themselves. Thus they are called
living organisms. Though they are replicating themselves they sometimes undergo
change and then replicate. This is called mutations.. Some of the mutants due to
environment or external conditions become extinct. All living organisms that we see
are Replicators that have mutates from unicellular to multicellular like animals and
ultimately as Humans

From UniCellular to Humans

 h 4
e .
e
m Selfish Gene
T

Me s It
t h
r a
ti
Wha e t
1. Tall Trees get more e i
sunlight. So Tall trees s s
grow over short trees. w
Genetically tall trees are 3. We put a rule that
w h
benefiting.? Correct? No! only one tree shouldi y
Gene of tall trees are exist within limited
l m
befitted but trees itself space. Then that tree
l e
cannot get the benefit, which breaks this rule
c n
will benefit over others.
o w
m h
p o
e b
t r
e e
a
w k
i t
t h
h e
r
Natural Selection?
These genes are not
evolving in any
preordained direction.
So also Memes are also
not evolving in pre
ordained pattern. No
specific meme has any
advantage over the
other such as no gene
has any advantage over
the other. Extinction of
particular Gene is a
random
A simple possibility
coffee wending
aided by external
machine follows algorithm. but
Chaosnature.
theory states the end
result of these algorithm is
complex chaotic and
unpredictable.
Learn by imitation The word meme comes
from mimicking . Man is the only animal
that can imitate and learn and pass on this
information from generation to generation.
The information are ideas and are called
memes. These memes are replicators and
act as virus and replicate itself and have a
life of their own
 Progress
?
Hunting: is just 15Hrs per week with plenty of leisure time.
Farming : Did not make life easier nor did it improve nutrition nor reduce disease. It is
called the end of Eden. Early days (during agriculture era) skeletons show toes and
back are deformed. They show signs of rickets and abscesses in their jaw.

Wh
y?

There was no genetic advantage

Memetics says
Memes can spread because they appear to be of advantage even though
they are not. Because they are easily Immitatable. What we are calling as
progress from hammer to Xerox machine is directionless incremental
imitations
Primordial
soup

DNA
Only
replicator
 These
Memes As the gene went on
had a developing it reached a stage
life of where Brains could replicate
ideas. Thus another set of
their on
Replicators were produced
which started interacting with
Genes and created complex
situation.
Relation between Gene and
meme!
The relation
between Gene and
Meme could be
through leash But
in the end Dog has
a life of its own
and leash has
limited control
Meme a Brain Virus

Though we may feel that Our

brain is well developed its
performance is like early
computer & is highly
susceptible to Viruses
 All thoughts
are Memes But
unless spoken
they Die
Radio
Radio
Meme
Carriers

Films
Books
Books
Films
Targ
Pictures
Pictures et
TV
TV
Drama
Drama
These are not memes . Parents shaping the child’s
behavior
 coughing
n g
n i Contagiou La
a w ug
Y s in h
behaviour g
s
These are not memes. These are
behaviors.
 All imitations are not
This Blog deals
only on Ramayana memes
Other topics such
as Musings, Garden bird was once seen pecking at milk
Politics, Religion, bottles kept outside with mil Soon it was
Book Summaries noticed many such birds started pecking at
n PPS are in Click milk bottles. This is not case of imitation as
pecking is their habit and only they noticed
some fat available on the bottle. There is
not imitation and learning in the process.
Such examples cannot be given for
imitation

What about some birds

copying the door bell.
Yes this is imitation but
birds have very limited
such ability
 Bird migration and learning to
Mo Nest from their parents etc are
nk not imitation because no new
things are learned and they just
ey follow their instinct.
s
le
ar
n
to
fe
ar
sn
ak
e
fro
m
Lamarckism
passing of acquired
characteristics
Recipe
 Memes keep
travelling
between media
and the brain
and replicating
itself in the
process