Comments on: MetaMemes: Play It with Me! http://www.contentious.com/2004/12/19/metamemes-play-it-with-me/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:00:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Don The Idea Guy http://www.contentious.com/2004/12/19/metamemes-play-it-with-me/#comment-4600 Don The Idea Guy Wed, 22 Dec 2004 05:48:09 +0000 #comment-4600 HI there! I'm another early adopter and absolutely LOVE Kes' game. I'd be happy to take part in an online session -- let me know! ~DON HI there!
I’m another early adopter and absolutely LOVE Kes’ game. I’d be happy to take part in an online session — let me know!
~DON

]]> By: Kes Sampanthar http://www.contentious.com/2004/12/19/metamemes-play-it-with-me/#comment-4561 Kes Sampanthar Wed, 22 Dec 2004 00:30:35 +0000 #comment-4561 Another note on the 'storm' - To add to my thought on having caveman inhabit the earth with us; what kind of cavemen would survive to procreate? The statement about pilots comes to mind... 'You get old pilots and you get brave pilots, BUT you don't get old/brave pilots!' - Would cowards survive longer and hence procreate more? Hence evolution will be selecting for a more conservative species. This doesn’t sound good for the future of creativity. Another note on the ’storm’ - To add to my thought on having caveman inhabit the earth with us; what kind of cavemen would survive to procreate? The statement about pilots comes to mind… ‘You get old pilots and you get brave pilots, BUT you don’t get old/brave pilots!’ - Would cowards survive longer and hence procreate more? Hence evolution will be selecting for a more conservative species. This doesn’t sound good for the future of creativity.

]]> By: Kes Sampanthar http://www.contentious.com/2004/12/19/metamemes-play-it-with-me/#comment-4559 Kes Sampanthar Wed, 22 Dec 2004 00:03:40 +0000 #comment-4559 Hi Amy, I would just like say thank you for being one of the early adopters of the game MetaMemes. You are the perfect example of why I have released this game in its early stages, so creative people like yourself can try it out and start finding new ways to use/play the game. I love the idea of playing the game online via IM or even email. I do have on my 'to do' list to create an online version of the game, where people can come and 'MetaMeme' together and share and create new ideas. So to try to add to your 'storm' on Anti-aging and Evolution. Anti aging could have some interesting impacts to evolution. If nobody aged, they would be around to see how future generations adapted to the environment around them, and even though they might be alive, and 'young' they would be superseded. How strange would it be to have cave people living in the same world as us, how would culture, ideas change? Hmmm.. interesting stuff. I am also very excited to see where we can take this idea. Thanks again for starting this online forum for MetaMemes. So to try add to your 'storm' on Anti-aging and Evolution. Anti aging could have some interesting impacts to evolution. If nobody aged, they would be around to see how future generations adapted environment around them, and even they might be a live, and 'young' they would be superceded. How strange would it be to have cave people living in the same world as us, how would culture, ideas change? Hmmm.. interesting stuff. I am also very excited to see where we can take this idea. Thanks again for starting this online forum for MetaMemes. Kes Hi Amy, I would just like say thank you for being one of the early adopters of the game MetaMemes. You are the perfect example of why I have released this game in its early stages, so creative people like yourself can try it out and start finding new ways to use/play the game.
I love the idea of playing the game online via IM or even email. I do have on my ‘to do’ list to create an online version of the game, where people can come and ‘MetaMeme’ together and share and create new ideas.
So to try to add to your ’storm’ on Anti-aging and Evolution.
Anti aging could have some interesting impacts to evolution. If nobody aged, they would be around to see how future generations adapted to the environment around them, and even though they might be alive, and ‘young’ they would be superseded. How strange would it be to have cave people living in the same world as us, how would culture, ideas change?
Hmmm.. interesting stuff. I am also very excited to see where we can take this idea.
Thanks again for starting this online forum for MetaMemes.
So to try add to your ’storm’ on Anti-aging and Evolution.
Anti aging could have some interesting impacts to evolution. If nobody aged, they would be around to see how future generations adapted environment around them, and even they might be a live, and ‘young’ they would be superceded. How strange would it be to have cave people living in the same world as us, how would culture, ideas change?
Hmmm.. interesting stuff. I am also very excited to see where we can take this idea.
Thanks again for starting this online forum for MetaMemes.
Kes

]]> By: yet another f*$#&@! learning experience http://www.contentious.com/2004/12/19/metamemes-play-it-with-me/#comment-4556 yet another f*$#&@! learning experience Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:51:42 +0000 #comment-4556 <trackback /><strong>MetaMemes</strong> Amy Gahran's looking for people to play a game of MetaMemes. MetaMemes looks like one of those games that has total geek appeal (the creator's blog even takes pause to celebrate the 30th anniversary of D&D). You take a set of cards about various ... MetaMemes
Amy Gahran’s looking for people to play a game of MetaMemes.

MetaMemes looks like one of those games that has total geek appeal (the creator’s blog even takes pause to celebrate the 30th anniversary of D&D). You take a set of cards about various …

]]> By: Peggy Champlin http://www.contentious.com/2004/12/19/metamemes-play-it-with-me/#comment-4373 Peggy Champlin Mon, 20 Dec 2004 02:22:18 +0000 #comment-4373 I don't dare buy this game and start playing it - online or offline. I'd never get any work done! But I found your hypotheses interesting. Here's my take on them: Your wrote: If a medical means of preventing aging were universally available, would that be the end of human evolution? Would we stagnate as a species? I don't think so. Many people die from accidents, disease, homicide, suicide. Those who live longest will have the greatest chance of procreating, so it'll affect evolution, but not stop it. You wrote: If a genetic therapy to prevent aging were developed, would or could evolution move to counteract it (make it ineffective)? Hmm. Interesting idea. I'm not sure - I'll have to think about it more. You wrote: “Evolutionâ€? is part of the word “revolution.â€? What kinds of political, social, and economic upheaval would result if some or all people were able to stop aging? This is the most interesting one to me. How would our societies and culture change if sdome of all people didn't age? Would everyone have access to this? Would we as a species become wiser, having more years available? Our societies are already feeling the effects of people living to their 70s, 80s, 90s when just a century ago, the average lifespan was much shorter. We have people trying to stay married twice as long; people working more years; people needing to live on Social Security and pensions for many more years; older people becoming more ill as our medical advances keep us from dying young, but can't keep us from being getting terminal diseases and from just wear and tear on the body. Many of our social structures are being strained now. How wold it work if someor all of us lived very, very long? You wrote: Might the US Endangered Species Act be an anti-aging-gene approach to ecosystem maintenance? That is, are we trying to “freezeâ€? the current diversity of species, rather than work with evolution? I don't think so. Our species has become so dominant and destructive on this planet that I think this Act is meant to keep us from just destroying many species outright. The Act won't protect a species from its own evolution within the ecosystem, just from humans who have a tendancy to run roughshod over ecosystems. You wrote: If everyone were to stop physically aging, would the governments of the world have to institute a mandatory age for suicide/euthanasia in order to prevent overpopulation? Or outlaw reproduction. Another interesting one. Clearly, we would need to find new places to live or keep the population down to what the planet can reasonably sustain. Of course, we can advance our ability to sustain more people on the planet, but just from a physical space point of view, there's obviously a limitation. In the past, usually disease or environmental disasters have wiped on huge portions of the population. Perhaps that would happen again. Good questions! I hope other chime in. I'm interested to see what they'll say! Peggy I don’t dare buy this game and start playing it - online or offline. I’d never get any work done!

But I found your hypotheses interesting. Here’s my take on them:

Your wrote:
If a medical means of preventing aging were universally available, would that be the end of human evolution? Would we stagnate as a species?

I don’t think so. Many people die from accidents, disease, homicide, suicide. Those who live longest will have the greatest chance of procreating, so it’ll affect evolution, but not stop it.

You wrote:
If a genetic therapy to prevent aging were developed, would or could evolution move to counteract it (make it ineffective)?

Hmm. Interesting idea. I’m not sure - I’ll have to think about it more.

You wrote:
“Evolution� is part of the word “revolution.� What kinds of political, social, and economic upheaval would result if some or all people were able to stop aging?

This is the most interesting one to me. How would our societies and culture change if sdome of all people didn’t age? Would everyone have access to this? Would we as a species become wiser, having more years available? Our societies are already feeling the effects of people living to their 70s, 80s, 90s when just a century ago, the average lifespan was much shorter. We have people trying to stay married twice as long; people working more years; people needing to live on Social Security and pensions for many more years; older people becoming more ill as our medical advances keep us from dying young, but can’t keep us from being getting terminal diseases and from just wear and tear on the body. Many of our social structures are being strained now. How wold it work if someor all of us lived very, very long?

You wrote:
Might the US Endangered Species Act be an anti-aging-gene approach to ecosystem maintenance? That is, are we trying to “freeze� the current diversity of species, rather than work with evolution?

I don’t think so. Our species has become so dominant and destructive on this planet that I think this Act is meant to keep us from just destroying many species outright. The Act won’t protect a species from its own evolution within the ecosystem, just from humans who have a tendancy to run roughshod over ecosystems.

You wrote:
If everyone were to stop physically aging, would the governments of the world have to institute a mandatory age for suicide/euthanasia in order to prevent overpopulation? Or outlaw reproduction.

Another interesting one. Clearly, we would need to find new places to live or keep the population down to what the planet can reasonably sustain. Of course, we can advance our ability to sustain more people on the planet, but just from a physical space point of view, there’s obviously a limitation. In the past, usually disease or environmental disasters have wiped on huge portions of the population. Perhaps that would happen again.

Good questions! I hope other chime in. I’m interested to see what they’ll say!

Peggy

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