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1 | | -<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><title>Evolving Ideas</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com/atom.xml" rel="self" /><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com/" /><updated>2014-09-25T21:54:32.005Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/</id><author><name>@KevinLitwack</name></author><entry><title>Nature's Algorithm</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-10/natures-algorithm.html" /><updated>2011-10-18T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-10/natures-algorithm.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">Today's post is about a thought experiment that's been capturing my fancy a lot recently. In |
| 1 | +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><title>Evolving Ideas</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com/atom.xml" rel="self" /><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com" /><updated>2017-03-17T12:56:41.104Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com</id><author><name>@KevinLitwack</name></author><entry><title>Nature's Algorithm</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-10/natures-algorithm.html</link><updated>2011-10-18T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-10/natures-algorithm.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">Today's post is about a thought experiment that's been capturing my fancy a lot recently. In |
2 | 2 | this experiment, we conceive of the entire Universe around us as nothing more (or less) than a |
3 | 3 | massive simulation. We suppose that "somewhere" there's a computer whose memory banks model the |
4 | 4 | precise state of every sub-atomic particle in the Cosmos. To make things simple let's assume that |
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27 | 27 | happen to see are themselves accidents, part of a meta-evolutionary process by which nature |
28 | 28 | discovers its own tools. If this were indeed how Reality works, the implications would be |
29 | 29 | profound; but even if it's utterly wrong, the thought experiment is a useful way to remind |
30 | | - yourself of your brain's scale-based blind spots.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Science: A Masterpiece of Evolution</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-10/science-a-masterpiece-of-evolution.html" /><updated>2011-10-04T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-10/science-a-masterpiece-of-evolution.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">Many people have claimed, in my opinion justifiably, that evolution is one of the greatest |
| 30 | + yourself of your brain's scale-based blind spots.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Science: A Masterpiece of Evolution</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-10/science-a-masterpiece-of-evolution.html</link><updated>2011-10-04T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-10/science-a-masterpiece-of-evolution.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">Many people have claimed, in my opinion justifiably, that evolution is one of the greatest |
31 | 31 | results ever to come out of human science. Its ability to explain the complexity we see around us |
32 | 32 | in terms of an accumulation of simple steps is breathtakingly elegant. But the subject of this |
33 | 33 | post isn't how science discovered evolution; it's how evolution discovered science.</p><p class="paragraph">Hard as it is for us to imagine in modern times, for most of human history there really wasn't |
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54 | 54 | it. Once the random mutations had fitted all the pieces together, the resulting thought process |
55 | 55 | took off like wildfire. Instances like this give me great hope that there are even more powerful |
56 | 56 | and transformative ideas out there, waiting for memetic evolution to stumble onto them - and |
57 | | - equally great confidence that, in due time, it will.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Religions: The Dinosaurs of the Memetic World</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-09/religions-the-dinosaurs-of-the-memetic-world.html" /><updated>2011-09-23T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-09/religions-the-dinosaurs-of-the-memetic-world.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph"><em>Caveat: Today's topic can be a controversial one, so let me invite readers to come to it |
| 57 | + equally great confidence that, in due time, it will.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Religions: The Dinosaurs of the Memetic World</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-09/religions-the-dinosaurs-of-the-memetic-world.html</link><updated>2011-09-23T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-09/religions-the-dinosaurs-of-the-memetic-world.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph"><em>Caveat: Today's topic can be a controversial one, so let me invite readers to come to it |
58 | 58 | with an open mind. My intent isn't to pass judgment or challenge anyone's beliefs, but |
59 | 59 | instead to explore the thought space in a new and hopefully insightful light. Feel free to |
60 | 60 | take this perspective and incorporate it into your belief(s) however you see fit.</em></p><p class="paragraph">Why is it that a discussion of religion needs such a guarded introduction? Because these massive |
|
101 | 101 | we'd ever find one religion compelling enough to close the debate, but if we can even reach a |
102 | 102 | point where they're all close enough to co-exist then it would reshape our civilization. The |
103 | 103 | dinosaurs may die, but something smarter and better will hopefully follow in their footsteps... |
104 | | - let's just hope it doesn't take 65 million years this time around.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Bandwidth Between Brains</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-09/bandwidth-between-brains.html" /><updated>2011-09-13T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-09/bandwidth-between-brains.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">If we accept the metaphor (or literal fact?) that brains are computers, then it's fairly natural |
| 104 | + let's just hope it doesn't take 65 million years this time around.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Bandwidth Between Brains</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-09/bandwidth-between-brains.html</link><updated>2011-09-13T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-09/bandwidth-between-brains.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">If we accept the metaphor (or literal fact?) that brains are computers, then it's fairly natural |
105 | 105 | to see the movement of ideas between brains as just data flows in a network. To illustrate this, |
106 | 106 | let's take a simple example. Suppose that as I'm talking to you over lunch in a crowded cafe, I |
107 | 107 | notice that the person behind you has accidentally lit your hair on fire with their cigarette. |
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140 | 140 | communications platforms/models with higher bandwidth and higher fidelity, it should increase the |
141 | 141 | rate of memetic evolution of the ideas within those platforms. This feedback is part of what |
142 | 142 | makes the evolutionary algorithm so stunning: the better it gets, the better it gets at getting |
143 | | - better.</p></content></entry><entry><title>A Case Study in Cultural Evolution</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/a-case-study-in-cultural-evolution.html" /><updated>2011-08-30T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/a-case-study-in-cultural-evolution.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">This week I'm participating in the <a href="http://www.burningman.com">Burning Man</a> festival out in Nevada's spectacular Black Rock Desert. Perhaps it's not super on-topic for |
| 143 | + better.</p></content></entry><entry><title>A Case Study in Cultural Evolution</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/a-case-study-in-cultural-evolution.html</link><updated>2011-08-30T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/a-case-study-in-cultural-evolution.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">This week I'm participating in the <a href="http://www.burningman.com">Burning Man</a> festival out in Nevada's spectacular Black Rock Desert. Perhaps it's not super on-topic for |
144 | 144 | this blog, but it's very much on my mind, so I figured I'd give a quick view of Burning Man from |
145 | 145 | a memetic perspective.</p><p class="paragraph">When we talk about a "culture" what we usually mean, in broad terms, is a large memeplex that |
146 | 146 | guides the behavior and interactions of a group of people. Like all memeplexes, cultures compete |
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186 | 186 | fundamentally different from the "mainstream" cultures that I've encountered. It's hard to say |
187 | 187 | right now whether this new memetic species will flourish, or have a few choice elements picked |
188 | 188 | out and incorporated into the mainstream, or just die off entirely. Whatever happens we should |
189 | | - pay close attention, because it's one of today's best opportunities to see memetics in action.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Applied Memetics</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/applied-memetics.html" /><updated>2011-08-23T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/applied-memetics.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">I'm going to level with you: I'm an engineer, not a scientist. It's just a fundamental fact of |
| 189 | + pay close attention, because it's one of today's best opportunities to see memetics in action.</p></content></entry><entry><title>Applied Memetics</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/applied-memetics.html</link><updated>2011-08-23T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/applied-memetics.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">I'm going to level with you: I'm an engineer, not a scientist. It's just a fundamental fact of |
190 | 190 | how my brain works. Why am I bringing this up now? Because so far this blog has been about |
191 | 191 | memetics as a science, but that's not really my true passion. What attracts me to the field is |
192 | 192 | the virtually limitless possibilities of applying memetic understanding to the real world. For |
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231 | 231 | things along is still a worthwhile goal.</p><p class="paragraph">All of these applications are based on my own extremely minimal understanding of the science of |
232 | 232 | memetics. As an engineer, my job is to take the stuff the scientists give me and figure out how |
233 | 233 | to use it to change the world. So if you're into the science of memetics, I hope you'll take the |
234 | | - time to donate your memes to me, and we'll see what we can do.</p></content></entry><entry><title>"Better" vs. "Better Adapted"</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/better-vs-better-adapted.html" /><updated>2011-08-16T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/better-vs-better-adapted.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">In contemporary English, the word "evolution" has taken on a number of connotations that fall |
| 234 | + time to donate your memes to me, and we'll see what we can do.</p></content></entry><entry><title>"Better" vs. "Better Adapted"</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/better-vs-better-adapted.html</link><updated>2011-08-16T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/better-vs-better-adapted.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">In contemporary English, the word "evolution" has taken on a number of connotations that fall |
235 | 235 | outside of the scientific usage of the word. For example, <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evolution">dictionary.com</a> lists one definition as:</p><blockquote><p>"a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development, as in social or economic</p><p> structure or institutions."</p></blockquote><p class="paragraph">This usage has the potential to confuse scientific discussions about evolution, such as this |
236 | 236 | blog, so I thought I'd spend a post clearing things up a little.</p><p class="paragraph">There's a common misunderstanding that because life is evolving, it is therefore getting |
237 | 237 | "better" in some universally meaningful sense. This is an especially tempting trap when looking |
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ conflates correlation with causation. Evolution does tend to result in changes t |
260 | 260 | them from coming to dominate the meme pool. On the contrary, history (not to speak of current |
261 | 261 | events) is rife with instances of destructive memes gaining widespread traction.</p><p class="paragraph">As memeticists, our task is to understand how and why certain ideas spread while others die off. |
262 | 262 | The point of this post is to convince you that how "good" or "bad" an idea is does not, in |
263 | | - and of itself, affect its viability. We need to look deeper - and I hope to do so soon.</p></content></entry><entry><title>The Canonical Memeplex</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/the-canonical-memeplex.html" /><updated>2011-08-09T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/the-canonical-memeplex.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">As promised last week, it's time to look at a concrete example of applying memetics to a |
| 263 | + and of itself, affect its viability. We need to look deeper - and I hope to do so soon.</p></content></entry><entry><title>The Canonical Memeplex</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/the-canonical-memeplex.html</link><updated>2011-08-09T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/the-canonical-memeplex.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">As promised last week, it's time to look at a concrete example of applying memetics to a |
264 | 264 | real-world phenomenon. Luckily, I don't think we have to search very hard to find a good |
265 | 265 | candidate: cooking recipes. As I hope to show below, studying these everyday creatures lets us |
266 | 266 | exercise quite a bit of memetic machinery.</p><p class="paragraph">I'm taking the liberty of calling a recipe a memeplex, so maybe this is a good time to address |
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ conflates correlation with causation. Evolution does tend to result in changes t |
308 | 308 | idea of memetic modeling so daunting.</p><p class="paragraph">So there you have it, a tour of the memetic perspective. Next time you're cooking your favorite |
309 | 309 | meal, remember that you are actually just being used by a pattern of ideas selfishly seeking to |
310 | 310 | propagate itself. Just be thankful that it's chosen a fairly symbiotic means of doing so - it |
311 | | - knows it can get you to spread it by being delicious!</p></content></entry><entry><title>Memetics As A Science</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/memetics-as-a-science.html" /><updated>2011-08-02T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-08/memetics-as-a-science.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">In my first post I tried to present the case for why memetics is a field worth studying. |
| 311 | + knows it can get you to spread it by being delicious!</p></content></entry><entry><title>Memetics As A Science</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/memetics-as-a-science.html</link><updated>2011-08-02T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-08/memetics-as-a-science.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">In my first post I tried to present the case for why memetics is a field worth studying. |
312 | 312 | However, like any infant branch of human inquiry, it faces quite a few challenges. Rather than |
313 | 313 | leaving these as elephants in the room, I'd like to spend a few words clearing the air. If we're |
314 | 314 | going to try and proceed down the path of understanding memetic evolution, we have to be honest |
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ conflates correlation with causation. Evolution does tend to result in changes t |
341 | 341 | the model helps us understand reality, then sooner or later we'll have convinced ourselves that |
342 | 342 | it's true.</p><p class="paragraph">As always, pioneering new science takes patience and perseverance. It's going to feel like we're |
343 | 343 | groping in the dark for a while, but the rewards of finding the light switch are substantial |
344 | | - indeed. So, let's forge ahead!</p></content></entry><entry><title>An Introduction to Memetics</title><link href="http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-07/an-introduction-to-memetics.html" /><updated>2011-07-26T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com//blog/2011-07/an-introduction-to-memetics.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">Today I'm kicking off a new blog on a topic in which I've developed a keen interest: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/memetics">memetics</a>. Let me state up front that I have no particular credentials or expertise on the subject. I'm |
| 344 | + indeed. So, let's forge ahead!</p></content></entry><entry><title>An Introduction to Memetics</title><link>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-07/an-introduction-to-memetics.html</link><updated>2011-07-26T00:00:00.000Z</updated><id>http://kevinlitwack.com/blog/2011-07/an-introduction-to-memetics.html</id><content type="html"><p class="paragraph">Today I'm kicking off a new blog on a topic in which I've developed a keen interest: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/memetics">memetics</a>. Let me state up front that I have no particular credentials or expertise on the subject. I'm |
345 | 345 | just an enthusiast who's read a couple books. But I'm hoping to start some discussions, because I |
346 | 346 | think the field has some real potential.</p><p class="paragraph">There's a lot of controversy out there as to what memetics is really about. So in the interest |
347 | 347 | of clarity, let me say what it means to me: memetics is the study of the evolution of ideas. |
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