Probably the most famous atheist on the planet, British biologist Richard Dawkins is somewhat less well known as the inventor of the word “meme.” He coined the term in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, where he used it to denote the transmission of cultural or societal habits from one person to another via non-genetic means. As such, he’s the foremost authority on what a meme is and how it comes to be.
Watch Richard Dawkins’ most excellent and psychedelic explanation of internet memes
Donning a flower-patterned shirt and his usual irreverence, Dawkins gives us the nutshell explanation of memes as cultural replicators, but it’s the illustrative video that follows his presentation that you’ll really want to see. It commences just before the five-minute mark and is a true audio-visual feast.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
