Susan Blackmore about memes (TED talk)

[Venom]

Susan Blackmore on memes and "temes" | Video on TED.com

Susan Blackmore rocks!

[Open Mind]

Venom, I seldom ever agree with Blackmore's viewpoints .... nevertheless she is still interesting to listen to.

2 minor criticisms ....

When emphasizing one 'MUST' get 'design out of chaos without the aid of mind' ..which is possibly true .... this does not prove design out of chaos necessarily leads towards a mind,

Also I find it really weird when Blackmore makes phrases like ... ....'memes are trying to get copied'

Blackmore denies we truly have a 'conscious self' but speaks as if memes have a goal (which requires awareness) ... is this what results when everything is viewed as unconscious processes?

Also .... 'as the mimes evolve, as they inevitably must they drive a bigger brain' ...it is phrased to the listener rather like Lamarckian inheritance but according to neo-Darwinism (which Blackmore probably believes) mental processes cannot change the genes, therefore only if the meme has some survival advantage can it affect future brain development.

Not that I personally believe neo-Darwinism is the correct or at least complete.

The latter part of Sue Blackmore's talk I found more interesting, possibly not true but still interesting

[Venom]

I also don't really know what to think of memetics. I don't know if it's "true" (but do we ever know the "true"?), if a more classic "evolutionnary psychology" approach is better, or what.

But I do find memetics fascinating.

Btw, I'm a big fan of "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex", a must see (an anime with a memetic theme).

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Wikipédia

[David Bailey]

I am sure the concept of a meme is real. Religion offers lots of examples. Homophobic churches (ditto for other religions) tend to grow at the expense of more tolerant churches because some people dislike homosexuals or simply find that the subject alleviates the boredom of church-going! It is not that the leaders make this calculation, just that the 'fitter' doctrine prospers.

In a way it is interesting that human institutions illustrate a mixture of survival of the fittest and intelligent design!

David