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May 08, 2006
The Lifecycle of Memes
Anders Sandberg has, together with Henrik Bjarneskans and Bjarne Grønnevik, written the paper The Lifecycle of Memes that can be found at the Athenaeum Reading Room.
Abstract of Bjarneskans, Grønnevik and Sandberg's The Lifecycle of Memes:
Memes, self reproducing mental information structures analogous to genes in biology, can be seen as the basis for an explanatory model of cultural and psychological behaviour. Their properties and effects are evolutionary conditioned and ultimately seeks to promote their replication. To survive in a context the memes must meet certain conditions. We abstract a model of these conditions and use it to analyse three well-known memes: the "Kilroy was here" graffiti, urban legends and Christianity.
Posted by Waldemar at May 8, 2006 10:57 AM