From: Natasha Vita-More (natasha@natasha.cc)
Date: Sat Jan 23 1999 - 10:41:25 MST
At 03:59 AM 1/23/99 -0800, James Ganong wrote:
>OK, we've gone over several physical technologies so far, but what about
>memetics?
>Could it ever be developed to the point of being an actual
>technology/engineering discipline?
>Why or why not? What could happen if it were so developed?
There are probably several different takes on what a memetic engineer could
be.
As I see it, and for my purposes, a memetic engineer plans, manages and
disburses ideas and skillfully maneuvers them in a direction(s). Thus, the
slant is engineering as production. Since the word "engineer" refers to
skills other than mechanical, civil or electrical; many professions are
using the term to describe the planing, managing and maneuvering of tasks.
"A good scientist is a person with original ideas. [A good artist is a
person with original ideas.] A good engineer is a person who makes a design
that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima
donnas in engineering." Freeman Dyson
"engineering . . . is the art of doing that well with one dollar, which any
bungler can do with two after a fashion. Arthur Mellen Wellington
Memetic engineering works as a psychological undertaking, at least until we
can really alter our brains and add on specific devices for developing and
deploying ideas, as well as the insight and scrutiny for understanding
society and communicating and make that a technology.
For example, Chris Peterson (Foresight Institute) and I have discussed
memetic engineering as an interpersonal skill (the ability to understand
and assess people and society) and an ability to steer ideas, and sculpt
ideas, in directions that are both education and constructive for a
particular interest. Herein responsibility is taken in the production of
ideas so that they are spawned in areas that are profitable to the ideas.
Ideas can take on their own life, to be sure. (Chris, for example, may
carefully listen to negative comments about nanotechnology and answers
comments with a problem-solving mentality, while intending to sculpt
positive ideas about nanotech. Crit Mediator can be used to welcomes
individual comments and open up a dialogue. Here, an open understanding of
what people think and a format to respond while listening to comments and
addressing them in problem-solve mode.)
While anyone who comes up with ideas and markets them fruitfully can spawn
memes, I think actively pursing the engineering of ideas is memetic
engineering. Now, the question, when looking at it in the
above-interpretation, what are the skills needed to effectively engineer
memes? You can take a look at my Memetic Toolkit, which I worked on while
discussing the concept of memetic engineering with Chris. I didn't find it
on the list, so I'll insert it here:
Memetic Toolkit or engineering memes
1. Listen
2. Discern Cost Benefit Analysis
3. Educate, Debate or Alienate
4. Employ Critical Thinking
5. Locate Common Ground of Interest
6. Present Historical Parallels
7. Practice Patience
8. Ignite Curiosity
9. Show Sense of Humor
10. Engineer a Meme
Natasha Vita-More: http://www.natasha.cc
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