Final Exam

•April 21, 22, 23•In Moodle test centre•Same format and procedure as midterm•Not cumulative•Covers everything from Attention to today’s lecture

final exam review session 1pm on Friday in AH116

Memes

Richard Dawkins

What is evolution?

• Evolution is “a process of continuous change”

What is evolution?

• Evolution is “a process of continuous change”

• Evolution is not the opposite of creationism

• You are free to consider the following discussion of memes without fear of eternal damnation

What is evolution?

• Evolution theory in a nutshell:

– Kids look and act like their parents

– Kids don’t look and act exactly like their parents

– Some people have more kids than others

What is evolution?• Evolution theory in a nutshell:

– We are each a constellation of traits which reflects the set of genes we inherit from our parents

– Traits (and the genes that underlie them) impart advantages and disadvantages

– Genes are thus subject to “selection pressures” or “selective retention” which increase or decrease their prevalence in a “gene pool”

– Random variation introduces novel genes and their associated traits into the gene pool

What is evolution?

• Evolution theory in a nutshell:

– Random variation + selective retention = evolution

What is evolution?

• “Evolution” applies to all replicators…genes are just a one example

Memes

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures sooteThe droghte of March hath perced to the rooteAnd bathed every veyne in swich licour,Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

Memes

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures sooteThe droghte of March hath perced to the rooteAnd bathed every veyne in swich licour,Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

•Can you read this?

•Could your parents or grandparents? Could their grandparents?

•What happened? Your genes are slightly different. Does that account for our different language? If not, what does?

Memes

• Language is an example of an aspect of human culture that evolves

• Dawkins’ thesis is that this evolution process can be considered in the same light as the evolution of genetic traits

• Memes are the heritable units of culture

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?

– Internet memes: Rickrolling

– Religious memes: Thor, God of Thunder• Son of Odin• Has a hammer that can crush

mountains• Rides a chariot pulled by goats

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?

• fashion

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?• music

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?• music

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?• music

Memes

• What are some examples of memes?– gestures

Memes

• How do memes replicate?

Memes

• How do memes replicate?

– Imitation

Memes

• How big is a meme?– The “hook” of a pop song is a meme?– How many memes is an entire symphony?

Memes

• Why do memes die? Why do memes persist?

– Some memes are more successful than others…why?

– Competition:• There is a finite number of memes that you pick up and

use in your life• Likewise finite quantity of TV and radio play etc.

Memes

• Some memes stay bundled together– They are mutually reinforcing

–E.g. the fear of eternal damnation if you don’t believe in things like eternal damnation…

Memes

• Some memes cannot co-exist

– they explicitly exclude other memes• The meme that “blind faith” is good protects itself

along with a huge complex of other religion memes

Memes

• Do memes and genes interact?

– Consider that your parents are the primary source of your memes (at least early in life)• Any memes they pass to you may help you reproduce• these will allow you to pass those memes to your kids• And so on

– Consider memes about celibacy or birth control!

Memes

• Perhaps this makes you uneasy about your own memes…

– Why do you hold true the set of beliefs that define you? Are they accurate? Does it matter?

– There’s nothing wrong with questioning your own memes! Try some other memes! See how they fit with your own. Ask a stranger to share memes with you.