Re: virus: One More Time, From the Top... (was: Extrocranial

B. Lane Robertson (metaphy@hotmail.com)
Sun, 16 Aug 1998 10:22:14 PDT


Cost/ benefit analysis seems to apply to the
*viability* of the memetic "pattern" (as a
whole... that is, the evolution of a meme might be
thought of as being the continuation of a memetic
pattern which *evolves* that it overcomes a
balanced "cost/ benefit" [such that *cost benefit*
might apply to "chance recombination"]). What I
am saying here is that a BALANCED cost/ benefit
(as in "genetics") is a given. And as such,
evolution must overcome the stagnation represented
by chance so that memetic ordering might manifest
as a continuation-- without regards for chance
destruction).

So, I am also saying: A zero-sum cost/benefit is
the end-product of genetic "selection" but is the
FOUNDATION for a memetic ordering. Beginning with
a *viable* meme (one in which cost/ benefit is,
for all practical purposes, balanced to 0=100%
[*chance*]), the replication of a memetic pattern
toward an "intentional" ordering is less dependent
on the benefit to the host than on the "benefit"
to the *meme* (such that the viral form of the
meme might infect the host in a more "general" way
than might be explained through cost or benefit to
the new host).

One way I have come to understand the
*generalized* ability for a meme to infect a host
is as follows:

A viable meme has a balanced configuration.

The progressive ordering of information suggests a
new balance.

The meme "divides" as regards the old and new
pattern.

Non-ordered information is attracted to this new
(as above) "viral configuration" (the *viral
configuration* contains attractors for (a)
information ordered according to the original
pattern, (b) information ordered according to the
superior pattern, and (c) *generalized*
information now ordered according to it's
"variability" as regards (a) and (b): That is,
the VIRUS-- representing both the inferior and
superior meme-- ALSO represents a generalized
state between the two which attracts GENERALIZED
information.* It is the generalizability of the
new information (chance info. not ordered by
either the old or new memetic patterns) by which
the viral meme infects the new host (such that
non-ordered information might become ordered
within the new host according to the pattern of
the superior memetic form).

AGAIN: What I am saying is that the cost and
benefit of a meme to the host is in the BALANCED
nature of the meme. A change in the cost/ benefit
configuration of the meme, itself, might only
affect the viability of the meme such that it
becomes viral and seeks balance within a new
host-- the *host's* only benefit is the ordering
of previously generalized information according to
the superior pattern of the evolved *meme* (which
is only incidental to the development of the
*virus* toward "chance" disorder-- as might
otherwise be explained according to cost/
benefit**).

*generalized information... with the understanding
that the meme is viable in that it contains
ordered information, "generalized" information is
so defined "un-ordered" info. As such, if "logic"
were a sign of memetic ORDER, generalized
information would be info. which is not logical.
As such, the "hook" by which the virus infects a
host is the hosts succeptability to the
dis-ordered "logic" which is apparently organized
by the virus (is perhaps "emotionally" encoded).

**as "cost/ benefit" might also be translated
chance distribution about a mean of zero (or,
simply, "Whatever might happen between the
positives and negatives that always add to
nothing")

B. Lane Robertson
Indiana, USA
http://www.window.to/mindrec
Bio: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
See who's chatting about this topic:
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