What is it about?
The paper applies the quasispecies model of Eigen to the evolution of cultural information: i.e. that information spread between people through different means. Such information changes at a rate in excess of many viral genomes as a result of erroneous retention; mis-hearing and other errors in the transfer of information. The article also considers how the transfer of information in digital systems is not free from error and may also be modelled in the same manner as more prosaic forms of communication.
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Why is it important?
Cultural information is often considered to be fairly stable, in terms of its content. However, humans are error-prone. With very high rates of error in verbal and written communication (up to 100 times that of RNA viruses), it is unsurprising that information evolves over time. We suggest that these inherently high rates of error, coupled to varying levels of selection lead to cultural information existing as quasispecies within populations of individuals. Moreover, where digital systems are used in communication, very high rates of transfer can expose these to similar amplification of errors. At present, the rates of error and replication are insufficient to warrant modelling as quasispecies in the manner Eigen envisaged. However, we suggest that this could change in future.
Perspectives
This article was a long-time in development. Initially, built on the error rates from different areas of social communication, it developed into a more nuanced model of communication over a four year period. Open peer-review on Qeios really helped refine the work and focus its content.
Dr David Sinclair Stevenson
Carlton le Willows Academy
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Modelling the structure and evolution of cultural information as quasispecies, Biosystems, January 2024, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105104.
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