In genetics they talk of the "phenotype". This is any observable
characteristic or trait of an organism including its form and
structure, development, behaviour, and even products of behaviour such
as a bird's nest. An unusual property of humans (compared with other
organisms) is language, since for the first time information about
long-term survival can be passed by other means than genes. This has
led to the creation of the subject of 'memes', as analogous to genes,
as carriers of information in human society. Memes have allowed humans
to create buildings, cities, and to fly like gods through the sky,
albeit often in rather cramped surroundings with terrible food. And to
create computers. So should we regard computers as part of the
phenotype of humans? And if so, should we care?

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Why do we like what we like? Are computers an extension of our genes?

The "phenotype" in genetics is any characteristic of an organism like
form, development, behaviour, even products of behaviour like birds'
nests. An unusual property of humans is language, where survival
information can be passed by other means than genes. This leads to
'memes', analogous to genes, as carriers of information. Memes have
allowed humans to create buildings, cities, and fly like gods through
the sky, though in cramped surroundings with terrible food. And to
create computers. So are computers part of our phenotype? Should we
care?

==========

Evolution works in a surprisingly similar way to backtracking
algorithms. A backtracking algorithm keeps a record of the path it has
taken to get to its current state. That role is played by DNA in
evolution, which is a memory of what has worked successfully in the
past. In the early stages of evolution the only source of change was
mutation which was a very hit-and-miss source of change, usually
resulting in failure. However, once sex evolved there was a new very
rich way of combining genes to try out new combinations in the
algorithm, which speeded evolution up greatly.

Once true memory evolved, organisms no longer had to depend on
hard-wired mechanisms to survive, but could base their actions on past
experiences as well. Once language evolved in humans all of a sudden
people didn't have to depend on their own experiences to survive, but
could use other people's experiences as well.

Development of writing and printing created yet another form of memory
that allowed experiences and ideas to survive after your death (just
as your genes survive in your children after your death).

This led to what are now referred to as 'memes': a linguistic analogue
to genes in DNA. Just like genes, memes get spread out through the
population, and the more successful memes ("beans are a good source of
protein") have a greater chance of survival, than unsuccessful memes
("if you are ill you should drain some of your blood off"). In fact
you can regard a conference as the equivalent for memes that sex is
for genes. Actually maybe it's more like an orgy. But I digress.

Memes have allowed humans to repair themselves (medicine, glasses),
protect themselves (create buildings, cities), and extend their
abilities (telescopes, satnav, flying like gods through the sky,
albeit often in rather cramped surroundings with terrible food.) And
to create computers.

From this point of view computers can be seen as a product of our
genes, just as birds nests (for instance) are a product of the genes
of birds.

And as if to complete the circle, researchers have recently announced
the ability to store vast amounts of information using DNA: 2.2
petabytes per gram.

So since memes have become just as important as genes for survival,
this means that it is just as important to have ideas as to have
babies, and this may explain why we tend to revere exemplary producers
of memes from previous generations (Plato, Mercator, Edison, ...)

But what happens when our computers start having better ideas than us?