memetic evolution

Evolution is a theory that was proposed to explain structural biological changes observed in species over time and how certain classes of species survive extinction over others. We can use the microscopic lens of genomics to explain the manifestation of evolutionary phenomenon in living organisms. Genes (as I have covered in a previous article - dissecting genetic code) are essentially biochemical structures that have the ability to make copies of itself in certain environments. Genes from a computational standpoint, are organized sequences of certain amino acid molecules that effectively carry useful biological code that get executed by special biological structures within the organism to perform various biological functions which ultimately define living organisms. Different molecular sequences correspond to different biological code which is effectively what differentiates one species from another (genetic code will be radically different in this case) and also one organism from the other within the same species (genetic code will be slightly different in this case). Genes essentially provide necessary informational resources required for enabling biological functions that effectively ensure sustained survival of a species with time. The survival of organisms is largely impacted by external environment which is a collation of random and dynamic phenomenon. Large systemic changes in the external environment can be detrimental to certain species and cause large scale decline in mortality as their inherent biological code i.e. genes are not equipped with the instructions to handle the random external changes. Genes much like the external environment or any other natural phenomenon is also subject to randomness, where the molecular sequences in the genes of few organisms can undergo random minor changes with time (through a phenomenon called mutation) which manifest in the form new and altered biological functionalities. A certain type of mutational change in the genetic code among the many random mutational changes can potentially provide the necessary biological functionalities required for sustained survival in the changed external environment. The new class of organisms with the more favorable mutational changes possesses a certain level of superiority in terms of survival over organisms with unmutated or unfavorably mutated genes. The class of organisms with unmutated or unfavorably mutated genes are not able to effectively forward propagate their genetic information with time due to which they eventually wither out of existence and become extinct. The class of organisms with favorably mutated genes which started out first in a single organism, multiplies effectively with time in the changed external environment and eventually ends up becoming the dominant species with a very large population. This process repeats every time there is a large systemic change in the external environment which can impact survival and the process of these random occurrences of minor favorable genetic mutations that aid in survival is what we call evolution or genetic evolution to be more specific. So, to summarize genes are elementary molecules of living organisms that replicate themselves in order to ensure the forward propagation and preservation of their host organisms with time. Genes undergo random changes with time and the class of genes that are best suited to deal with the external environment are the ones that undergo more proliferate replication and eventually survive with time.

What really fascinated me though was the parallel of genetic evolution with socio-cultural phenomenon known as memetic evolution. Just like how genetic evolution explains the sustained propagation of a certain class of genes, memetic evolution explains the sustained propagation of a certain class of something known as memes. But what exactly are memes? Is it the same meme that we are familiar with i.e. that is the ones we see on the internet? The answer is yes, in a way. Memes are the socio-cultural equivalent of genes and are effectively abstract ideas which like genes have the ability to replicate and propagate forward with time. Memes being nothing but abstract ideas can hold a wide variety of elements under its hood ranging from political ideologies to jokes (which is the meme we are more familiar with). What makes the meme special is the same property that makes genes special i.e. its ability to replicate and propagate forward with time. Genetic code dictates our biological functionalities whereas memetic or ideological code dictates our beliefs, purpose and in extension our actions in this world. We can use the lens of genetic evolution which we covered earlier to understand how ideas evolve with time. Similar to how certain classes of superior genes endure the external environment better and proliferate faster, the same goes for memes where certain ideas prove to be superior as they persist with time in the global environment and spreads faster into the minds of more and more people across the world. Powerful ideas or beliefs which enable better survival from a psychological and economic standpoint in a complex and changing world makes its way through the evolutionary road of survival and weak ideas which do not do so end up withering away with time. Memetic evolution can potentially explain why certain religious or political beliefs persist over others. A case in point is the historical example of communism, communism at its onset was a powerful idea that gave people a deep sense of purpose to move forward with their life which is why it multiplied among a large population, but communism eventually proved to be a weak idea as it did not enable better economic survival due to structural deficiencies in the model of communism that resulted in large scale poverty and ended up becoming extinct. Capitalism on the other hand as we can see has proved to be an evolutionarily superior ideological species that has persisted with time. Memetic or ideological mutations much like genetic mutations are also prevalent in the world and at times can prove to be of vital importance as seen in the case of radical ideas that change the world. Ideas are nothing but specific information patterns drawn on a large set of all existing information in the world and random patterns generate random ideas both useful and useless. Ideological breakthroughs like scientific, economic or political discoveries are essentially new mutated information patterns built on the back of previously existing information patterns that similar to favorably mutated genes, offer a better chance of sustained survival in the complex world we live in. Memetic evolution becomes a very useful mental model when studying history and understanding how and why different ideologies evolved or devolved with time and also understanding the prevalence of existing socio-political or economic ideologies. There is a deep sense of elegance in how macroscopic social phenomenon operates in the same way as microscopic biological phenomenon and how the universe is intricately connected uncanny ways.