Reading Response 3-Reed

Considering most men and women only pass down their genetic makeup to the next generation of breeder, it is an interesting concept that memes are capable of just as much achievement as the evolution of our genetic code. However, over the course of the semester, this topic has been a hot button issue in many of my classes, particularly in regards to feminism. Many women would rather pass down a meme or a body of work that can keep the person, artist, or writer alive. Where the genetic permeation of people is taken advantage of and is a product of thousands of, now, nameless people who have contributed to your genetic composition, people like Charles Darwin, Leonardo DaVinci, and Jane Austen will live through their contributions to society through the arts and sciences.

This is a daunting concept for me to fully understand because it presents an existential crisis and raises the question of our own self-importance. Do we truly matter in the long run if we are only passing down our biology? Does this open up opportunities for men and women to make their own memes? However, Dawkins concerns for the over production of memes is a real concern, if the meme market is flooded, could they be considered real memes?

Reading 3 - Lauren Owensby

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins provides an interesting look at lasting cultural elements in history by characterizing them as memes in comparison to genes. I was surprised by the turn it took at the end; it reminded me of the different grounds for ethical arguments. I was expecting a more detailed explanation of what keeps such memes in circulation that would reflect more on the modern meaning of the word "meme"; i.e. resonance with community values, encapsulation of a mindset, etc. The lines about "disinterested altruism" threw me off, because it is assumed that all human actions gravitate towards selfishness (survival of the individual) rather than working within a community to ensure mutual survival of everyone in that community.

I think memes are starting to deteriorate in lifespan because most of our needs in modern society have been met. There is nothing forcing us to fear hell and fire, there is no perceived "need" for an afterlife because our current life is not overwhelmingly miserable. In addition, the internet facilitates the development of new memes that reflect on the people who carry them at each moment in time, replacing others that we consider less applicable. Yet I feel that the existence and prevalence of these memes fail to be accurate reflections of who we are. Take humor, for instance. Most jokes are harmful or derogatory in nature, yet are made to help face that division and ease the tension associated with it. They can help spread awareness, inspire exploration, and give others a basis for addressing similar issues.

Reading 3 - Frank Hu

Genes and memes, really? I can understand where the author is coming from. Like genes, memes have high fecundity and are replicable. They do have many similarities, and the meme is infinitely more fertile than genes. With that said, I really can't believe the author compared the two.

Look at how long genes have been around. Memes in comparison have existed for less than 0.0001% of the time. Even the meme of god the author uses has not been around long. The internet age has enabled the creation of easily digestible, valuable content. However, most of it is easily forgotten and far less valuable than genes. Putting them on the same level exalts memes to some higher level that it does not deserve. Despite sharing many similarities, memes are bacteria (short run resistant but long run forgettable) compared to genes. Memes may have high fecundity but the life time of an entire type is extremely short.

Reading 3 - Truc Le

a meme's process
(source)

In “Memes: The New Replicators”, Richard Dawkins (2006, pp. 189-201) uses the concepts of genes to explain those of memes and examines the importance as well as the affects of memes in human cultures. I feel that anything, especially any work of art, as long as it is simple and appealing to the mind (for example, catchy tunes or funny GIFs), has the potential to go viral and become memes. In my opinion, straightforward ideas and art pieces can easily become memes because people can interpret a simple piece in many different ways that suit their existing interests. Because it is easier for people to create their own interpretations out of simple things, people are more likely to favor and remember these things. For example, PSY’s Gangnam Style was once a huge meme on the internet. Having memorable tunes and funny short horse dances, Gangnam Style easily caught the public attention and went viral on the internet. Although PSY stated that this song’s message is to mock the Gangnam district people’s extravagant lifestyles, the internet community extracted different meanings from the song (such as the Gangnam style doomsday prophecy) and spread these fan-made versions, thus maintaining the song’s popularity for months. Simplicity worked for Gangnam Style and numerous other memes. Therefore, I think the artists should keep simplicity in mind when creating arts if they want their work to be ‘spreadable’.

At the end of the essay, Dawkins expressed his fear of the uncontrollability of memes and his hope for human’s alertness when spreading memes. I sympathize with Dawkins only if the meme being examined is an indoctrination or a conservative idea that people are forced to learn. However, if it is a short-duration meme such as a catchy tune, a hilarious image, or even an addictive game like Flappy Bird, I do not think that these memes are going to cause any negative long-term consequences. Although it can be annoying to encounter these memes so many times, I feel that it is natural and sometimes necessary for humans to share their memes. Having seen that each person can have his or her own interpretations of memes, I think that through spreading memes, a person can be expressing their thinkings and characteristics as well. Therefore, I think that sharing memes is a social need, and because memes pass by, they should not be considered as threats to human minds.

Reading 3 - Panpan Deng

 

In the article Memes: The New Replicators, the author presented a relatively new analogy between "scientific progress and genetic evolution by natural selection." (Dawkins, Richard) As an enthusiastic Darwinian himself, Richard believed that the survival of replicating entities such as human genes has much similarity from the survival of meme which is a term made by Richard himself. "Meme" is a noun that "conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation."(Dawkins) I find this analogy very interesting for the reason that since I was a kid, I liked to make the "idea" in people's mind as a seed. Once it was in your mind, it glow and glow until its out of control. When Isaac first hit by the apple, he started to think what was the cause of the falling? When Walt saw the moving cover of the pot, he started to think whether this mysterious force could be used? When Abraham Ortelius observed the matching shapes of several continents, he started to think could the continents were always moving? 

Just as Richard said in his book that ones' own ideas, theories, "memes" would remind unknown if he died without sharing them. Nevertheless, "if the idea catches on, it can be said to propagate itself, spreading form brain to brain." (Richard) The idea of god, as an example from the book, is an undebatable idea that parasites many brains. When things are not explainable, gods came into existence or one might gone crazy. That was probable why, great scientists like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Nicholas Copernicus all believed in gods mostly during the later period of their life. God exits not because it has evidences, actually no one can claim that he has seen god in person, but because people need it and society needs it. People can find explanation and comfort for injustice phenomenon in really life. Society can use god to rule and paralysis people. That is why god has such a high value of survive.