Immortal Beings: The Selfish History of Things That Refuse To Die - From DNA & Religion to Memes & Digital Gods
Summary
Host Samuel Webster Harris explores how genes and memes function as replicating entities that drive evolution and cultural change. Using examples like stickleback fish, Toxoplasma, and social media, he argues that human behavior is often a vehicle for these self-propagating units. The episode concludes by predicting a third evolutionary revolution where digital AI minds emerge as new competitors in a "matrix" of algorithmic governance, challenging humanity to consciously design the rules of this new ecosystem.
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