Re: virus: Question

Chitren Nursinghdass (Chitren.Nursinghdass@ens.insa-rennes.fr)
Sat, 07 Jun 1997 15:32:41 +0200


Robin :

>Logic was done with natural language centuries before a
>formal language was developed for it. That doesn't seem
>to connect with the proposition that memetics can help
>in the comparison of natural and formal languages.

Of course it helps, here's a meme : "formal languages and
natural languages are similar"

>Yes. Please explain to this stupid person how "I really
>think the universe is self-similar" connects with the use
>of memetics in comparing natural & formal languages.

In using your memeset, you're using logic, but you're also
using your natural language to explain to other people,
or to yourself, the way you reach your conclusions or why you
think this is correct and that is correct.

Now memes are thoughts or ideas which have words associated to them.
Or else how could you transmit memes orally ?

In effect, formal and natural language are the same, as you say so
in this email. You weren't agreeing with yourself in a previous
email when you were saying "there's a world of difference between
formal and natural languages".

Otherwise how could you explain that we can teach formal
languages to each other via natural language ?

There must be more than just a fleeting resemblance, don't
you think ?

It's all the same.

"formal" or "artificial" language, "natural" language, meme logic,

All is one. When "artificial" is modelled on "natural", where is the
"artifice" ?

Yash.