Synopsis of MEME Machine by Dr Susan Blackmore. A study of new replicator bringing about changes in human behaviour. Behavioural Science.

1. By Dr. Susan Blackmore
Synopsis of the book by M G Hariharan
http://mghariharan.wordpress.com/

2. INDEX-I
Forward by Richard Dawkins
• Human beings are the only species that transfer knowledge Go To
by imitations. This book talks about this subject Memetics
Strange Creatures
• Why are humans so special. It cannot be explained by our Go To
Genetic . Development at all.
Selfish Gene so also Meme
• The Gene specializes in duplicating itself and also in Go To
changing to more advantageous position. But they are
selfish
Meme Vs Gene
• How Meme affects Gene Go To
How Meme spreads
Go T0
• Understanding about the spread of Memes

3. INDEX-II
What is not a Meme
• All copying are not memes Go To
Understanding Copying
• Lamarckism effect where acquired characteristics Go To
and genetic characteristics are separated
Meme on Gene
• The meme starts designing the gene to facilitate Go To
itself
Talking- Language
• All ideas ( Meme) are dead unless spoken Go To
Meme unleashed
Go To
• Understanding about the spread of Memes

4. Go Back to Index
Forward by Richard Dawkins
We all imitate others
especially our parents. But
surprisingly the imitation
could become a basis for major theory
of evolution of human mind and
explosive inflation of human brain
even of what it means to be a conscious
self.
Imitation is how child learns its
particular language rather than some
other language. Follow the religion of
our parents than some other religion.
This entity which is giving
consciousness and taking control over
us is called Meme. The subject of study
of this meme is called Memetics.
These memes travel horizontally
through genes and also laterally like
viruses in an epidemic.

5. Go Back to Index
The study of Genetics is a long standing subject of
study. But surprisingly the study of memes is also
turning out in same line and has many similarities.
It may not be one to one cogent. But it can give
many indications of the line of growth. Whereas
Gene is digital in nature and can replicate itself
Successfully Memes also have in many situation near clear
duplication capability and also mutate and form different verities of
mutants of the original meme. Dr. Blackmore in this books comes
out with many daring theories that are difficult to be challenged and
explains many anomalies in life that are otherwise in explicable.
Dawkins suggests that meme theory will give a better insight into the
working of Brain
Dawkins appreciates the courage skill and dedication with which Dr.
Susan has put the subject of Memetics into this book And strongly
recommends this book for one and all.

6. Go Back to Index
Strange Creatures
1. Humans are evolved due to genetics
selection process
2. But differ in many ways from others.
3. We speak
4. We wage war
5. Extraordinarily widespread.
6. We have religion
7. We are embarrassed about sex
8. We cremate/burry our Dead
9. We make technological progress.
10. Watch TV
11. Drive cars
12. We seem to ruin the ecosystem on which
we depend
13. Biologically we are very near to other
animals but behave very differently.
14. What is the reason for this changes
behavior? Our language, Intelligence, or
consciousness

7. We are strange because we are
intelligent!
Research in Artificial Intelligence has
shown that Intelligence does not explain
our behavior.
Super intelligent computer Deep blue
bet the world champion and proved that
Intelligence does not explain our
behavior.
Simple house cleaning devices could not
be made with artificial intelligence
Our consciousness was
presumed to make us what
we were. But science could
not explain Consciousness
The answer was Clear No

8. First to
understand Replicators
Carbon + Hydrogen + Oxygen from Atmosphere form DNA
The carbon Hydrogen and oxygen combine for form DNA. Which are initial forma
of living organisms . These organisms can replicate themselves. Thus they are
called living organisms. Though they are replicating themselves they sometimes
undergo change and then replicate. This is called mutations.. Some of the
mutants due to environment or external conditions become extinct. All living
organisms that we see are Replicators that have mutates from unicellular to
multicellular like animals and ultimately as Humans
From UniCellular to Humans

9. Go Back to Index
1. Tall Trees get more 2. The trees will compete with
sunlight. So Tall trees each other and no tree will get
grow over short trees. the benefit. Each one will be so
Genetically tall trees are close by that all trees will be at
benefiting.? Correct? No! disadvantage. But what if
Gene of tall trees are ………………
befitted but trees itself 3. We put a rule that only one
cannot get the benefit, tree should exist within
limited space. Then that tree
which breaks this rule will
benefit over others.
4. That is
why men
who break
the rule
will rule
over us

10. Natural Selection?
These genes are not evolving
in any preordained
direction. So also Memes are
also not evolving in pre
ordained pattern. No
specific meme has any
advantage over the other
such as no gene has any
advantage over the other.
Extinction of particular
Gene is a random possibility
aided by external nature.
A simple coffee wending machine
follows algorithm. but Chaos
theory states the end result of
these algorithm is complex
chaotic and unpredictable.

11. What
Is
Meme?
Learn by imitation The word
meme comes from mimicking .
Man is the only animal that
can imitate and learn and pass
on this information from
generation to generation. The
information are ideas and are
called memes. These memes
are replicators and act as virus
and replicate itself and have a
life of their own

12. Progress?
Why
?
Hunting: is just 15Hrs per week with plenty of leisure time.
Farming : Did not make life easier nor did it improve nutrition nor reduce disease. It
is called the end of Eden. Early days (during agriculture era) skeletons show toes and
back are deformed. They show signs of rickets and abscesses in their jaw.
There was no genetic advantage
Memetics says
Memes can spread because they appear to be of advantage even though they
are not. Because they are easily Immitatable. What we are calling as progress
from hammer to Xerox machine is directionless incremental imitations

13. For 3000 million years
this was the only replicator
Only
replicator
Meme is the next level of replicator
We shall study the effect of this on Gene

14. These
Memes
had a As the gene went on developing it
reached a stage where Brains
life of could replicate ideas. Thus
their another set of Replicators were
on produced which started
interacting with Genes and
created complex situation.

15. Go Back to Index
Relation between Gene and
Meme!
The relation between
Gene and Meme could
be through leash But
in the end Dog has a
life of its own and
leash has limited
control

16. Meme a Brain Virus
Though we may feel that
Our brain is well developed
its performance is like early
computer & is highly
susceptible to Viruses

17. Go Back to Index
How Meme spread- Vehicle
All thoughts
are Memes
But unless
spoken they
Die

18. Radio
Meme
Carriers
Films
Target
Books
Pictures
TV Drama

19. Go Back to Index
These are not memes .
Parents shaping the child’s behavior

20. coughing
Contagious
Behaviors
These are not memes. These are behaviors.

21. All imitations are not memes
Garden bird was once seen pecking at
milk bottles kept outside with mil Soon it
was noticed many such birds started
pecking at milk bottles. This is not case of
imitation as pecking is their habit and
only they noticed some fat available on
the bottle. There is not imitation and
learning in the process. Such examples
cannot be given for imitation
What about some
birds copying the door
bell. Yes this is
imitation but birds
have very limited such
ability

22. Bird migration and learning to
Nest from their parents etc are
not imitation because no new
things are learned and they just
follow their instinct.
Monkeys learn
to fear snake
from their
parents

23. Go Back to Index
Biological characteristics are not Lamarckian but
social behaviors are.
Though Lamarckian process of transferring
acquired characteristics is not justified some
examples such as cutting the tail of the mice for
many generations is partially transferable to newer
generations.
So what exactly is Social characteristics transferred
but through meme.
Se the slide next where acquired characteristics and
genetic characteristics are compared to transfer of
soup making process through observations and
through written recipe.

24. Transfer of soup preparation through
Recipe or through observation
Observed process are not like
genetic transfer
Recipe transfer
are like
Once the Genetic
process is transfer
captured in
Recipe then
it is not
changeable

25. Memes keep
travelling
between media
and the brain
and replicating
itself in the
process

26. Go Back to Index
Huge Human Brain
Due to natural selection?
Ape If so the selection pressure must be
identified.
We seem to have brain surplus to
requirements.
Primitive hunters did not need this
surplus brain but they still had it.
3 times Although our body was a product of
continuous stages of development
the size of sudden change in Brain size is not
explicable. Our Brain size is too large for
Ape’s our body.
Growth of fetus of
primates (monkeys) in
Brain early stages is same as
human but later only the
head/brain of human
fetus keeps growing

27. The head size started
increasing 2and half
million years ago when
stone tools started being
discovered
Neanderthals
In last 5 million years there were many types of
Extinct 35000 years back
humanoids but today there are only 1 type.
In last 100000 years all humanoids had same
size brain.
It is said that though Brain consists of 2% of
Modern
body weight but consumes 20% of energy. This
Humanoids.
figure is misleading. When we are running
after train with luggage the energy consumed
is very high
But our muscles rest but brain does
not

28. Fatty sheath The impulses
consists of wave of
Conducts depolarization
Impulses which sweeps
along HOW along the Axon as
charged ions across
Axons
the membrane.
The brain uses
energy to maintain
Axons chemical
differences so that
neurons are ready
to fire.
The Body’s energy budget must include the neurons firing at
low frequency all the time. So why should we have a big size
brain wasting energy like this. The building of brain is also
expensive. Fatty sheath along Axon increases the speed of
impulse. These sheaths are produced during fetal development.
The homo erectus began eating more meat than
australopithecines- and started making tools to cut it up.

29. prefrontal cortex
Because of the Heavy
Head the childbirth is very
dangerous for both mother and
the child. Also erect biped status
of Homosapians is also against
The prefrontal cortex
child birth
is a very enlarged
The child born is also not fully portion and its
formed. The main head is still function is unknown
under developed and the skull is
not formed. Whereas many all This raises a
apes give birth to fully formed Question that
child humans alone give birth to Memes are
child which needs tending for forcing these
many years to come. changes for its
own benefit

31. Talking is energy
consuming . You
will know it when
you are sick
So Why has evolution
produced such creatures
consuming energy to speak.
Memes produce this pressure to keep Talking

32. Selection for Imitation
Better
tools
help in
eating
Bigger
animals
so Some people quickly pick up the
technology of Tool making . So better
better imitators will rule the roost.
food.

33. Selection for imitating the imitators
Man or Woman better imitators have better selection
Now that dress has been invented you better get dressed
Now that basket has been invented better carry it in Basket
Now that computers have come better be a SW engineer. And so o.
Initially the best memes are that which is good for Gene.
People who copy survival relevant memes have better chance than who carry
irrelevant memes

34. Go Back to Index
Language
One of the most important evidence of Meme is language. Human beings
are the only animals which has such wide communication skills which are
not only verbose but involves complicated grammar. Such complicated
grammar has no genetic advantage . Such skills are not actually taught but
acquired without much efforts by children. By the time they are taught
ABCD.. Etc they can communicate fluently and effortlessly. Even deaf and
dumb people use very complicated sign language which is very friendly.
Same time teaching to chimpanzees is very difficult and takes years for
just 3 word sentences.

35. Brain has not
been modified
for speaking
Then what are the differences that make us speak
To override the mechanism of breathing while speaking cortical control mechanism is
required; Base of the skull is different shape and Larynx is lower than other apes
Cortical control and larynx do not leave fossils. The base of
the skull is different only in Humanoids.

36. Successful Replicator ……by Dawkins
Fidelity
• Accuracy
• Accuracy ensures the success of spreading
Fecundity
• How many copies
• More copies More survival chances
Longevity
• How long Life
• Longer the life longer the spread

37. Language ensures all the three
aspects of Meme spreading
Fidelity
• Accuracy of language like Sanskrit can
spread cultural dominance better
Fecundity
• More educated society can spread
Memes better
Longevity
• Dominant Culture can spread its meme
for longer time period and dominate.
Thus High fidelity languages are born. In India English becomes dominant due
its high fidelity and longevity. The comparative life of regional languages will
become low

38. Gene Gene Interactions
Compete
When genes compete their
special advantage will win
over the other.
White wins over Brown
Compete
Butter flies that have better
camouflage compete with
Birds with better eyesight.
Microbes inside body
Ivy and tree
Ants and Aphids
Co habit and
compliment

39. Selfish Genes
Beavers Dams, Spiders Webs and Snails shells are examples of how genes
effect each other related or not related. In the case oh Snails and
parasitic Flukes the relation is only mutually beneficial. There is no
other relation and each is governed by its own requirements.

40. Gene vs Meme
As long as meme is under the
control of Gene the dog is on leash
Genes have biological advantage.
Liking for sex, sweets fear of snakes
etc are in place. These are stuff of
biology, ethology, sociology, and
evolutionary psychology
When the Dog is not on leash the
situation cannot be predicted
based on Biological advantage
This subject is called mematics.
The two examples discussed till
now are Big Brain and Languages.

41. Go Back to Index
Three Steps to Memes spreading
Mimetic Driving
SELECTION
Survival of GENETIC MATING
some Ability to
memes at imitate the With best
the cost of new Memes imitators
others

42. Mimetic Selection
Tools
• Tools compete with better tools
Pots
• Pot making improves with better and better Pot
making
Dancing
• Good dancers are imitated and dancing improves
Speech
• Good communication and better Languages
develop
Art
• Better Arts are appreciated and develops

43. Genetic Selection & Mating
Men
• Men with better imitating
ability prosper and genes of
such men Prosper
Women
• Women prefer to mate with
better imitating men and thus
propagate mimetic progress

44. Baldwin Effect
James Baldwin
Salamander Intelligence, Imitation & Learning affect
Selection
Salamanders catch flies by jumping. The one Salamander that jumps the highest
will catch maximum flies and has better chance of survival. Salamander with
strong legs and the one s that jump high are better in the gene pool and they slowly
tend to become like frogs. Perfectly Darwinian effect.
Now imagine there are two types of flies One
spotted (edible)and one stripped. ( Inedible)
The frog lings that can know the difference are in
better genetic pool. But if Flies change faster that
the froglings can then those froglings that learn
to choose are better off than others. This
advantage of learning is Baldwin Effect Frogling

45. Gregorian Creatures
• Memes are Intelligence Enhancers .Humans are the only
creatures in this floor.
Popperian
• They can not only learn but imagine the outcome and solve
the problems in their head.
Skinnerian
• These are animals that learn by Trial and Error. These
animals can Learn
Darwinian
• Ground Floor is occupied by Darwinian Creatures built on
the natural selection of Genes
Tower of generate and test

46. Till now we saw the Gene Meme effect
enhancing the Gene Co evolution Baldwin Effect
Meme is the next level of replicator
We shall study the effect of this on Gene
When the
dog is not
in Leash

47. Slaves in Rebellion We are going to see that it
was not just dog
From the fourth unleashed but Elephant
floor of Dennett’s run amok
Tower the Memes
are unleashed on
its own course
The Genes had no
Foresight that They
were Cohabiting with
another replicator
It was Spartacus in Control

48. Super fast Brain growth that no way
helps the Genes and in fact caused
Death to child and Mother is one
such example
Huge Energy Consumption
Normally in all animals its close relations
are existing in parallel But in the case of
Humans all hominids have been destroyed
and only one that is we are existing
Probably designed by the memes

49. Continued in Meme machine II
Still under development