| Core Concept |
| A unit of cultural information that can be transmitted from one mind to another.
Term coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 book 'The Selfish Gene' |
| Replicator |
| A meme is a Darwinian replicator, not to be confused with its host (the human brain). |
| Variation |
| There is no definitive meme - memes exist as variations that can change over time. This is vital for a process of selection to occur. |
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| Selection |
| Memes are subject to selection, the environment (hosts) in which they exist determine which successfully replicate and which die out. |
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| Heredity |
| Memes exhibit heredity, they can persist through generations of hosts. |
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| Content |
| In information theory terms, a meme is a symbolic isomorphism: a message containing a triggering pattern. The cultural context of the recipient provides the frame. |
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