moritz@well.UUCP (Elan Moritz) (03/21/91)
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please post & circulate
Announcement
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Abstracts of papers appearing in
Volume 2 # 1 of the Journal of Ideas
THOUGHT CONTAGION AS ABSTRACT EVOLUTION
Aaron Lynch
Abstract: Memory abstractions, or mnemons, form the basis of a
memetic evolution theory where generalized self-replicating ideas
give rise to thought contagion. A framework is presented for
describing mnemon propagation, combination, and competition. It is
observed that the transition from individual level considerations to
population level considerations can act to cancel individual
variations and may result in population behaviors. Equations for
population memetics are presented for the case of two-idea
interactions. It is argued that creativity via innovation of ideas is
a population phenomena. Keywords: mnemon, meme, evolution,
replication, idea, psychology, equation.
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CULTURE AS A SEMANTIC FRACTAL:
Sociobiology and Thick Description
Charles J. Lumsden
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
Abstract: This report considers the problem of modeling culture as a
thick symbolic system: a system of reference and association
possessing multiple levels of meaning and interpretation. I suggest
that thickness, in the sense intended by symbolic anthropologists
like Geertz, can be treated mathematically by bringing together two
lines of formal development, that of semantic networks, and that of
fractal mathematics. The resulting semantic fractals offer many
advantages for modeling human culture. The properties of semantic
fractals as a class are described, and their role within sociobiology
and symbolic anthropology considered. Provisional empirical evidence
for the hypothesis of a semantic fractal organization for culture is
discussed, together with the prospects for further testing of the
fractal hypothesis. Keywords: culture, culturgen, meme, fractal,
semantic network.
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MODELING THE DISTRIBUTION OF A "MEME" IN A SIMPLE AGE DISTRIBUTION
POPULATION: I. A KINETICS APPROACH AND SOME ALTERNATIVE MODELS
Matthew Witten
Center for High Performance Computing
University of Texas System, Austin, TX 78758-4497
Abstract. Although there is a growing historical body of literature
relating to the mathematical modeling of social and historical
processes, little effort has been placed upon modeling the spread of
an idea element "meme" in such a population. In this paper we review
some of the literature and we then consider a simple kinetics
approach, drawn from demography, to model the distribution of a
hypothetical "meme" in a population consisting of three major age
groups. KEYWORDS: Meme, idea, age-structure, compartment,
sociobiology, kinetics model.
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THE PRINCIPIA CYBERNETICA PROJECT
Francis Heylighen, Cliff Joslyn, and Valentin Turchin
The Principia Cybernetica Project[dagger]
Abstract: This note describes an effort underway by a group of
researchers to build a complete and consistent system of philosophy.
The system will address, issues of general philosophical concern,
including epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, or the supreme human
values. The aim of the project is to move towards conceptual
unification of the relatively fragmented fields of Systems and
Cybernetics through consensually-based philosophical development.
Keywords: cybernetics, culture, evolution, system transition,
networks, hypermedia, ethics, epistemology.
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Brain and Mind: The Ultimate Grand Challenge
Elan Moritz
The Institute for Memetic Research
P. O. Box 16327, Panama City, Florida 32406
Abstract: Questions about the nature of brain and mind are raised. It
is argued that the fundamental understanding of the functions and
operation of the brain and its relationship to mind must be regarded
as the Ultimate Grand Challenge problem of science. National research
initiatives such as the Decade of the Brain are discussed. Keywords:
brain, mind, awareness, consciousness, computers, artificial
intelligence, meme, evolution, mental health, virtual reality,
cyberspace, supercomputers.
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The Journal of Ides an archival forum for discussion of 1)
evolution and spread of ideas, 2) the creative process, and 3)
biological and electronic implementations of idea/knowledge
generation and processing.
The Journal of Ideas, ISSN 1049-6335, is published quarterly by the
Institute for Memetic Research, Inc. P. O. Box 16327, Panama City
Florida 32406-1327.
>----------- FOR MORE INFORMATION ------->
E-mail requests to Elan Moritz, Editor, at moritz@well.sf.ca.us.
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