You are using a different definition of ‘cultural information’ than everyone else in the world. Genes code for proteins; proteins combined with other environmental factors cause traits to be exhibited.
Genes are the underlying mechanism by which genetic traits are transferable, just as ‘memes’ (original definition) are the mechanism by which ideas and ways of thought are transferable.
However, a meme (such as ‘expected results inform present decisions’) by itself is about as meaningful as a strand of RNA without a cell. An idea (such as Bayesian Rationality), on the other hand, is comparable to a protein (e.g. procollagen), in that the memes determine how the idea is expressed.
You are using a different definition of ‘cultural information’ than everyone else in the world.
Not so. Dawkins listed “ideas” in 1976 - in his examples. Most in the area accept that ideas qualify as memes.
Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation.” (Dawkins, 1976, p 192).
You are using a different definition of ‘cultural information’ than everyone else in the world. Genes code for proteins; proteins combined with other environmental factors cause traits to be exhibited.
Genes are the underlying mechanism by which genetic traits are transferable, just as ‘memes’ (original definition) are the mechanism by which ideas and ways of thought are transferable.
However, a meme (such as ‘expected results inform present decisions’) by itself is about as meaningful as a strand of RNA without a cell. An idea (such as Bayesian Rationality), on the other hand, is comparable to a protein (e.g. procollagen), in that the memes determine how the idea is expressed.
Not so. Dawkins listed “ideas” in 1976 - in his examples. Most in the area accept that ideas qualify as memes.
DNA strands, on the other hand, do not contain cultural information in any serious sense, any more than adrenaline or other hormones do.
Oops! I should apologise for my writing mistake. I meant to write:
...rather than:
Obviously, cultural information is in bibles, DVDs, brains and hard disc drives—not DNA.