Yesterday, 6:52 PM
Memetics is the concept that evolution (Usually applied to life) can also be applied to 'ideas'.
A Comparison Between the Two
Evolution of Life
Living beings can either be Active or Unactive. (Usually 'Living' or 'Dead'.) With most living beings when they become unactive they are forever dead. There may be complex states, like hibernation or dormancy, which is temporary 'death'.
Living beings can also Reproduce. When they reproduce, their internal information (genetics) is transferred to a new body. Except, this happens with minor changes known as Mutations. These mutations mean that there will always be Variance, slightly different versions of a similar being.
Eventually, they will all be subject to "Natural Selection" or "survival of the fittest." Basically all this means is that some will not Reproduce, or if they do, their offspring does not survive.
(Technically my terminology is wrong because "Biological Entities" includes viruses whereas "Living Beings" don't, but this is easier to write it this way.)
Evolution of Ideas
Ideas, or 'memes', can either be inside someone's mind or not. Active or Unactive. 'Living' or 'Dead'. If an idea exists externally, then it is dormant. Examples of this include ideas in books or in forum posts. They are not true vessels the same way minds are. Once someone reads that book, or forum post, then idea will then infect that person's mind, coming to life.
Ideas can be exchanged between people. Therefore, ideas can Reproduce. When one person tells another an idea, the other person will get it. Except different people have different interpretations, so the idea will change slightly. These are Mutations. Ideas can also be intentionally changed using human creativity. Another form of mutation. This means that all ideas have Variance.
And eventually, all minds die. When a mind dies, the idea dies with it. Therefore, the idea is subject to a form of "Natural Selection." This means that ideas either fail to be transmitted, or if they are transmitted, they die before they reach adulthood. In other terms, the idea recipient forgets the information.
The Gist
Basically, ideas change constantly. Ideas also live in people's minds. They die off when forgotten.
Ideas that don't survive, either because they're not popular or useful, die out, potentially forever.
Everybody is familiar with internet memes. Everybody knows at least one meme that has mutated past a point where the original meme and present-day meme have literally no relationship to each other. Divergent evolution have speciated the memes. (Personally I love the Gondola meme, which has its own long history, but I doubt most readers here will know of it.)
But memes are more than just internet memes or 'jokes'. Memetics covers the entire range of ideas. And since all of human culture can be summed as as a collection of ideas, memetics can apply to all culture. Styles of visual arts, music, cuisine, writing can all be charted out using memetics. Even culture associated with religion and nationality can be.
When memes die out, it is because they failed to pass the "survival of the fittest." Note that "fittest" does not actually mean best. There is no such thing as best. It just means most well-adapted for that particular situation/environment. For example: If a joke doesn't land, it's because in that particular environment, the joke doesn't work. It is not fit. But for a completely different environment, that joke could thrive, being retold over and over, and creating variations of itself.
The Discussion
Is The Concept of "Memetics" Useful?
Is Memetics a useful way to think about Ideas?
Or is just a lot of fancy terms and metaphors that describe obvious aspects about ideas?
Personally I find it useful, but others have criticized it as being not.
What "Meme Lineages" Do You Know of? What About for JV and PR?
Are there any JV or Platform Racing ideas, concepts, or cultural traits that have been shared and mutated a lot?
Personally I can think of that fact that noob.txt has had multiple different forms over the years. (Discussed in JV Historical Reference Guide.) Though I could not chart out a proper lineage or taxonomy of all the versions.
I often wonder if anything from JV or PR has culturally impacted something else. Like if it has inspired other game designers or other internet communities somehow. Or if everything from JV and PR will just go extinct.
A Comparison Between the Two
Evolution of Life
Living beings can either be Active or Unactive. (Usually 'Living' or 'Dead'.) With most living beings when they become unactive they are forever dead. There may be complex states, like hibernation or dormancy, which is temporary 'death'.
Living beings can also Reproduce. When they reproduce, their internal information (genetics) is transferred to a new body. Except, this happens with minor changes known as Mutations. These mutations mean that there will always be Variance, slightly different versions of a similar being.
Eventually, they will all be subject to "Natural Selection" or "survival of the fittest." Basically all this means is that some will not Reproduce, or if they do, their offspring does not survive.
(Technically my terminology is wrong because "Biological Entities" includes viruses whereas "Living Beings" don't, but this is easier to write it this way.)
Evolution of Ideas
Ideas, or 'memes', can either be inside someone's mind or not. Active or Unactive. 'Living' or 'Dead'. If an idea exists externally, then it is dormant. Examples of this include ideas in books or in forum posts. They are not true vessels the same way minds are. Once someone reads that book, or forum post, then idea will then infect that person's mind, coming to life.
Ideas can be exchanged between people. Therefore, ideas can Reproduce. When one person tells another an idea, the other person will get it. Except different people have different interpretations, so the idea will change slightly. These are Mutations. Ideas can also be intentionally changed using human creativity. Another form of mutation. This means that all ideas have Variance.
And eventually, all minds die. When a mind dies, the idea dies with it. Therefore, the idea is subject to a form of "Natural Selection." This means that ideas either fail to be transmitted, or if they are transmitted, they die before they reach adulthood. In other terms, the idea recipient forgets the information.
The Gist
Basically, ideas change constantly. Ideas also live in people's minds. They die off when forgotten.
Ideas that don't survive, either because they're not popular or useful, die out, potentially forever.
Everybody is familiar with internet memes. Everybody knows at least one meme that has mutated past a point where the original meme and present-day meme have literally no relationship to each other. Divergent evolution have speciated the memes. (Personally I love the Gondola meme, which has its own long history, but I doubt most readers here will know of it.)
But memes are more than just internet memes or 'jokes'. Memetics covers the entire range of ideas. And since all of human culture can be summed as as a collection of ideas, memetics can apply to all culture. Styles of visual arts, music, cuisine, writing can all be charted out using memetics. Even culture associated with religion and nationality can be.
When memes die out, it is because they failed to pass the "survival of the fittest." Note that "fittest" does not actually mean best. There is no such thing as best. It just means most well-adapted for that particular situation/environment. For example: If a joke doesn't land, it's because in that particular environment, the joke doesn't work. It is not fit. But for a completely different environment, that joke could thrive, being retold over and over, and creating variations of itself.
The Discussion
Is The Concept of "Memetics" Useful?
Is Memetics a useful way to think about Ideas?
Or is just a lot of fancy terms and metaphors that describe obvious aspects about ideas?
Personally I find it useful, but others have criticized it as being not.
What "Meme Lineages" Do You Know of? What About for JV and PR?
Are there any JV or Platform Racing ideas, concepts, or cultural traits that have been shared and mutated a lot?
Personally I can think of that fact that noob.txt has had multiple different forms over the years. (Discussed in JV Historical Reference Guide.) Though I could not chart out a proper lineage or taxonomy of all the versions.
I often wonder if anything from JV or PR has culturally impacted something else. Like if it has inspired other game designers or other internet communities somehow. Or if everything from JV and PR will just go extinct.
