MemeConjugation is analog of sexual reproduction for memes.

Unfortunately the BasePair''''''s of memes have not been found. Thus this is highly speculative.

-- BenThomasson

MemesDontExist

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Perhaps, the answer lies somewhere between the GeneticAlgorithm and the MixedMetaphor. -- SteveJorgensen

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This seems like an example of "eating the menu" (see DontEatTheMenu).  Genes are like memes in that they are replicated, vary and survive.  The mechanisms by which they do these things are obviously unrelated.  Memes have no base pairs, sex or sexual reproduction.  Dawkins purpose in coining the term "meme" was to show that evolution was not exclusively a property of DNA, but a property of anything that is replicated, has variation and survives or perishes based on that variation.

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Single genes do not reproduce - groups of genes (i.e. DNA) reproduce.  So in addition to "are there meme base pair equivalents?" we could also ask "is there a meme DNA equivalent?".

I, of course, believe in meme-sets, but for some strange reason, the "concept" or "idea" of meme-sets just hasn't yet caught on :).

''Hmm, looks to me as if memes ''are'' the base-pairs. And culture is your meme-set. Or?''

Yes, something like that.  I have to admit I have not read the book (books?) about memes.  And the picture I have in my head is rather vague.  But perhaps we can look at things that have spread (from my background), and see if they are single units or sets of things.

 '''Things that have spread (or not)                  Single units or a set'''

 wiki                                                 single unit?
 on wiki: signing with --Real''''''Name               single unit?
 on wiki: having a home page                          single unit?

 Smalltalk                                            single unit?
 extreme Programming                                  single unit?
 agile programming                                    single unit?
 test driven development                              single unit?

Well there goes that idea of mine.  I seem to be mixing up the adoption/spreading process and the evolution/invention/modification process.  It appears you can adopt/spread an idea/concept/unit of culture as a whole - take it or leave it.  Thus, single unit ideas/concepts/units of culture can spread.

But perhaps to evolve/invent/modify an idea/concept/unit of culture you must look at things as sets of parts, and pick and choose and recombine the parts in new ways.

As an example (to entirely confuse things) - we can accept or reject the idea of memes as a whole (probably it would be easiest to use the definition of the original author).  Or we discuss the topic of memes, and pick and choose only some of the concepts generated by 
the discussion to add to our own view of world.

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CategoryMemes