The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and its Relevance to Meme Research
| Click on the arrow to start the video. | Video by Enam Huque |
The Toronto Semiotic Circle organized a symposium on "Memory, Social Networks, and Language: Probing the Meme Hypothesis II" held at Victoria College (University of Toronto), Northrop Frye Hall, on May 15-17, 2008.
This event was organized with the financial support of Victoria University (SSHRC and Principal Office grants), the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto, the Emilio Goggio Chair of Italian Studies, and in cooperation with the Open Semiotic Resource Center.
A PDF version of the program for the symposium can be obtained
here.
Abstracts and Videos
Click on a talk title to see the abstract and video (where available).
Is it Good to Share? The Parallel between Information Transfer and Horizontal Gene Transfer 
Paul G. Higgs
(Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University)
What is a Meme: A Functional Definition
Robert Finkelstein
(Robotics Inc., University of Maryland)
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and its Relevance to Meme
Research
Morris Moscovitch
(Psychology, University of Toronto)
Social Networks Theory: Networked Lives and Meme Fields
Barry Wellman
(Sociology, University of Toronto)
The Social Structure of (Memetic) Diffusion
Bernie Hogan
(Sociology, University of Toronto)
Putting Memetic to the Test: The Case of Historical Trends in English
Phonotactics
Nikolaus Ritt
(Linguistics, University of Vienna)
Is Memetics a Science? Lessons from Language Evolution
Morten Christiansen
(Psychology, Cornell University)
Irresistible Changes in Languages: Cases Studies
Domenico Pietropaolo
(Italian Studies, University of Toronto)
Position Papers
Is Memetics a Science? Lessons from Language Evolution
Morten H. Christiansen (Department of Psychology, Cornell University)
What is a meme? A functional definition
Robert Finkelstein
(Robotic Technology Inc. and University of Maryland University College)
Is it Good to Share? The Parallel between Information Transfer and Horizontal Gene Transfer
Paul G. Higgs (Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University)
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and its Relevance to Meme Research
Morris Moscovitch (Psychology, University of Toronto)
Putting memetic explanations to the test:
the case of historical trends in English phonotactics
Nikolaus Ritt
(Vienna University)
Social Networks Theory: Networked Lives and Meme Fields
Barry Wellman
(Centre for Urban & Community Studies , University of Toronto)
The Form of Memes:
Twelve Remarks on Memetics
Paul Bouissac
(Victoria College, University of Toronto)
Concluding Statement
Marion Blute
(Sociology, University of Toronto)