> I assume that nursery rhymes are one of the best
> examples of a particular type of meme (memes that
> relate to oral tradition). Still, upon writing
> this I find myself wondering how to describe the
> nursery rhyme as an *example* of a meme rather
> than saying that they *are* the meme. Though my
> point is that the organization of ideas according
> to patterns which evolve and are replicated might
> be expressed in a very succinct fashion in such a
> form-- which stresses organization, patterns,
> evolution, and being passed on.
>
> Does someone want to do a study of the basic ideas
> transmitted by nursery rhymes and the patterns
> these ideas are organized into, noting the
> evolution of such patterns and their propensity to
> being passed on (in specific situations)? I think
> such a study would give a good indication of what,
> exactly, the basic ideas and patterns might be.
>
> To give Wade the benefit of a doubt, I am not
> opposed to saying that these "patterns" would ALSO
> be in evidence in the organization of neural
> networks, brainwave patterns, and even physical
> structures. (Yes, I am saying that brains would
> be organized into "nursery rhyme" patterns. If
> this were shown to be possible, what else could we
> attribute this to EXCEPT memes?).
>
>
> B. Lane Robertson
> Indiana, USA
> http://www.window.to/mindrec
> Bio: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
> See who's chatting about this topic:
> http://www.talkcity.com/chat.cgi?room=MindRec
>
What about the musical "hook" or melody (minus words) that plays
itself incessantly in your head like a broken record (even when you
may find it annoying)? It is bereft of any overt linguistic or abstract
ideational significance; but is it not also a meme? I say it has
identifiable structure and has been transmitted (replicated),
therefore it qualifies, whether or not it carries meaning.
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