Tresy,

Calvin wouldn't know me from Adam but I've Emailed him a few times to get his
ideas on memetics, etc.  I think that one way to explain the contagious aspects
of memes is associated with certain neurotransmitter types and levels associated
with the respective meme.

 He is a brilliant fellow and I have great admiration for him and his
accomplishments but I must confess that I've only read his material on the web
(shame on me).  As a dilettante, however, I really admire his knowledge in the
field.  I also majored in clinical psychology years back when at the university
so feel a sort of categorical kinship.  Perhaps I should get him on my long list
of books still to be read.  Some think that language really originated primarily
in the right hemisphere (in right-handed people), perhaps more like bird song
(territorial cries, mating cries, feeding signals, etc.) and later into music.
This kind of explains the songs (romans) or verse in which oral history was
carried until slowly more centers evolved into action in the left hemisphere,
etc.  These being more controlled, inhibited, language centers. Then, slowly,
the species continued in an almost instinctual manner but slowly transferred
activity more and more into the left hemisphere and spoken and written language
came about with the subsequent controls.  Some think that way back there folks
didn't "hear themselves think" but that this also came later, slowly evolving
until we have the very complicated setup that we have today.  Anyway, I don't
blame Chomsky for not wanting to try to explain that as it would be next to
impossible but, with the advent of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
and the Proton Emission Tomography (PET) scans, we are beginning to see the
actual areas and levels of the brain where activity takes place when we hear
words, speak them, or think them.  We will no doubt learn a tremendous amount
more about this function during the early part of this next century...  Thanks
for bringing our attention to this book of Calvin's...

I know of an instance recently where some alternative medicine folks
(reflexologists) were claiming authenticity for their craft by using fMRI so
show that when they touched the "visual" centers near the foot (according to
their strange beliefs) the visual centers "lighted up" in the brain.  Later,
others demonstrated that it was probably because they "spoke" about what they
were doing because when one speaks to the subject about visual orientation,
etc., the respective centers light up, same with other senses, etc.  Thus, the
supposed connection they claimed their experiment demonstrated was truly only a
demonstration of the "spoken" association stimulating the corresponding
activity.

Cordially,

Bob


--
Bob Grimes

http://members.aol.com/bob5266/
http://pages.hotbot.com/edu/bobinjax/
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Jacksonville, Florida
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Man is not in control, but the man who knows he is not in control is more
in control...

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore....."