Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Joshua S. Lateiner
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
Memes and the Infosphere
Virtual Wiring
Consciousness and the Infosphere
Through the Looking Glass: How Our Minds Might Enter Cyberspace
Conclusion
Review comments on this paper. (You may leave comments using an
interactive forms-based page)
Bibliography
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
One feature humans possess that makes them hospitable to memes is the
capacity for "virtual wiring" and auto-stimulatory feedback loops. Acts
such as drawing diagrams are methods for "building a 'virtual wire' between
the relevant subsystems" [Dennett 196] in the brain.
It may be argued that memes have been the driving force in the evolution of
humankind. Surely humans have not been evolved for any specific physical
trait, such as superior speed or agility. Rather, it would appear that
their greatest abilities lie with their information processing skills.
Memes, endowed with spiritual characteristics, might have guided this path
of evolution in order to create a habitat suitable to their reproduction.
Now that memes have gained a means of controlling physical reality through
the human body, they have set about constructing a new, better environment;
cyberspace. Cyberspace is any electronic, physical manifestation of the
infosphere, the ethereal realm of all information. An oral tradition handed
down through the ages belongs only to the infosphere. Once written down,
however, the tale becomes a member of both the physical world and the
infosphere; if written on a word processor, it enters cyberspace.
As usage grows, the networks also evolve. The cyberspace matrix described
by William Gibson in a series of books loosely known as the Cyberspace
trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive) is a possible future
extension of the Internet. Cyberspace is a vast, three-dimensional
electronic environment which spans the globe. In Gibson's world, it can
supporte corporate databases, artificial intelligences, and all manners of
information both static and dynamic. Such an environment would be the
ultimate habitat for memes, as it would provide essentially limitless
opportunities for growth. Furthermore, all transactions could take place on
an electronic rather than biological or mechanical medium, which means
everything would be faster and more efficient.
Virtual Wiring
Expanding on Dennett's model of the mind we might imagine that all thought
processes are composed of cycles of queries, and responses. A typical cycle
includes a primary query, some processing, the generation of an answer and
the integration of the results with the primary query. Millions of these
cycles would be executed in parallel on the machinery of the brain in the
process of simulating ordinary serial thought, which consists of meta-
thought cycles. In a mind cut off from its surroundings, all of these
cycles would be wholly contained within the brain, as shown in figure one.
[Image] (Figure 1)
Once one adds the ability for the brain to communicate with its
surroundings, an adaptive mind will make use of it through processes of
autostimulation [Dennett, 195]. When a person solves a geometric problem
with the aid of a pencil and paper (and perhaps a straight edge and
compass), the query arises in the brain: "At what point does line X
intersect polygon Y?" It is processed on the paper, and the answer is
returned to the brain for integration. We might imagine that such a cycle
takes place at least partially outside the biological brain, and instead in
a "technological realm" (admittedly, a pencil is "low- tech") as shown in
figure two.
[Image] (Figure 2)
[Image] (Figure 3)
In these examples, one should note that the majority of all thought cycles
occurs in the biological realm; the locus of consciousness and the prime
initiator of all thought cycles is in the brain. Indeed, we are not yet
ready to examine any situations in which this is not the case.
Through the Looking Glass: How Our Minds Might Enter Cyberspace
Memes seek the best possible habitats for themselves in much the same
manner that humans do. We moved out of caves a long time ago, it turned out
that well-appointed houses in the suburbs were much more conducive to the
successful reproduction of both people and memes (it is hard to read in
dimly lit caves).
Memes have worked from the beginning to improve the interface with this
electronic medium so they may move more easily between the technological
and the biological realms. In the beginning of the computer age, the
interface was clumsy, and consisted of punched cards. Then came teletype
keyboards and line printers gave an improved interface, making it easier
for memes to make use of the electronic realm. Shortly thereafter, graphic
displays and mice were invented, making it easy to manipulate vast
quantities of information and providing a high band-width passage through
which memes can travel from one realm to the next.
[Image] (Figure 4)
Here we have to ask the question of where the locus of consciousness lies;
and here is also where the point becomes moot. Previously, the answer would
simply have been "in the brain." With a sufficiently effective interface,
however, the locus of consciousness might be able to shift its balance from
one realm to the other as easily as it often shifts between hemispheres in
the brain via the high-bandwidth connection across the corpus callosum.
Thus, we have a possible mechanism for meme systems to take up residence in
alternate media.
Conclusion
If we are really nothing more than physically-based meme systems, then the
potential for our minds to take up residence in alternate media exists. We
have explored some of the tantalizing possibilities opened up by taking a
meme-based, materialist view of consciousness; and the future looks like it
will be quite interesting and enriching for meme-kind.
Review comments on this paper. (You may leave comments using an interactive
forms-based page)
Bibliography
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JSL