I have not yet took a course in biology but read a richard dawkins book and understood mostly all of it except he started talking about memes. And i have never heard this word before what are they.
2006-12-21 07:23:42 · 7 answers · asked by Beaverscanttalk 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Ohhh i got that without even knowing what the word meant my context clues are kickass i guess haha. So memes are basically monkey see monkey do.
2006-12-21 07:35:33 · update #1
Dawkins describes his concept of memes very well in The Selfish Gene. However, in brief:
Memes and genes are both 'replicators.' They are different in many ways, but share the ability to replicate themselves. Genes to this by chemical copying, while memes replicate by spreading from mind to mind. Memes are ideas, fashions, catch phrases, etc... Dawkins thought the idea of memes might be a good way to describe the contagious spread of ideas in human culture - particularly the spread of religious ideas.
2006-12-21 09:05:33 · answer #1 · answered by panda_glam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word 'meme' is indeed a word coined by Dawkins. (You didn't say which book you read, but he likes to bring them up from time to time.) They are not nonsense at all.
Basically, a meme is an idea that propagates between brains the way that genes propagate between individuals (parent and offspring).
Here's a great article on them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
BTW, your ability to understand Dawkins without taking any biology at all, is a testament both to how good a writer Dawkins is, and your own confidence in your own intelligence. Kudos!
2006-12-21 07:49:23 · answer #2 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A meme - reported "meem" is defined as: an theory, habit or variety that spreads from person to person interior of a lifestyle. A meme acts as a unit for donning cultural innovations, symbols or practices, which could be transmitted from one innovations to a diverse by writing, speech, gestures, rituals or different imitable phenomena." present day definition of memes includes internet memes that are starting to be synonymous with in-jokes understood by people who follow regardless of media the meme is approximately - whether that is books, video clips, television, activities, or regardless of. as an occasion: a doctor Who meme won't make experience to somebody who's by no skill viewed the tutor.
2016-12-18 17:19:36 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word meme was coined by Dawkinss to sound
like the word gene. It is just a fancy and totally
unnecessary word for an idea. Unfortunately a few
other people have taken it up and are also using
it. It's really just a smart-*** idea with no real
utility. It says nothing that words already available
did not say.
2006-12-21 09:03:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Memes are are ideas which are replicators. In other words, any idea (or theory, or attitude, or skill etc.) which is passed from one person to another through behaviour (ie not by genes) is a meme. You might think of it as the psychological analogue of a gene."
2006-12-21 07:27:46 · answer #5 · answered by prune 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
:An idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture
2006-12-21 07:27:42 · answer #6 · answered by Frank S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are not real - Dawkins made them up.
If you don't know what they are even after reading his book, well then that just proves they're nonsense!
2006-12-21 07:28:49 · answer #7 · answered by a Real Truthseeker 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋