Dawkins’ Meme

Brighton Science Festival 2006.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the publication of The Selfish Gene

At the very end of The Selfish Gene Dawkins asks whether genes are the only replicators on this planet: they are not. There is a second replicator; ideas, skills and habits compete to be copied and evolve in their own right. He calls them “memes”. Taking the meme’s eye view transforms our understanding of mind, brain and human nature – and gives a scary view of our future evolution.