E. Moritz - The Institute for Memetic Research, FL
Memetic Science is the name of a new field that deals with the
quantitative analysis of cultural transfer. The units of cultural
transfer are entities called "memes". In a nutshell, memes are to
cultural and mental constructs as genes are to biological organisms.
Examples of memes are ideas, tunes, fashions, and virtually any
cultural and behavioral unit that gets copied with a certain degree
of fidelity. It is argued that the understanding of memes is of
similar importance and consequence as the understanding of processes
involving DNA and RNA in molecular biology. This paper presents a
rigorous foundation for discussion of memes and approaches to
quantifying relevant aspects of meme genesis, interaction, mutation,
growth, death and spreading processes. It is also argued in this
paper that recombinant memetics is possible in complete analogy to
recombinant DNA / genetic engineering. Special attention is paid to
memes in written modern English.
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