In 1976, Richard Dawkins, an English evolutionary biologist, proposed an idea in his book The Selfish Gene. What if ideas are like organisms, where they could breed and mutate? These ideas, he claimed, are actually the basis for human culture, and are born in the brain. Dawkins called this concept “meme”, shortened from the Greek “mimeme”, meaning “that which is replicated”. Memes are the building blocks of a new kind of evolution. They are copied by our brains and behavior and are passed from person to person. They are more than passing fads: they are titanic. They can modify the world and revolutionize life. In this class we will look at memes as the basis for the information revolution of the digital age. How do memes work? How do they spread ideas? What controversies can/does this cause? How are memes present in your life, and how do they influence your thoughts and opinions?

In 1976, Richard Dawkins, an English evolutionary biologist, proposed an idea in his book The Selfish Gene. What if ideas are like organisms, where they could breed and mutate? These ideas, he claimed, are actually the basis for human culture, and they are born in the brain. Dawkins called this concept "meme", shortened from the Greek "mimeme", meaning "that which is replicated". Memes are the building blocks of a new kind of evolution. They are copied by our brains and our behavior and are passed from person to person. They are more than passing fads: they are titanic. They can modify the world and revolutionize life. In this class we will look at memes as the basis for the intellectual revolution of the digital age. How do memes work? How do they spread ideas? What controversies can/does this cause? How are memes present in your life, and how do they influence your thoughts and opinions?