Learn · 5 short lessons · ~16 min

Learn memetics.

The idea behind the word meme, from 1976 to your feed.

Five short beginner lessons on how ideas copy, change, and compete, based on the concept Richard Dawkins introduced in The Selfish Gene. No sign-up, no jargon, no price talk.

1. 01The Word Is Born (1976)Before it meant a funny picture, it meant a bold idea about how culture evolves.~3 min
2. 02What Makes a Copy WinSome ideas vanish overnight. Some outlive everyone who first had them. Dawkins had a theory why.~3 min
3. 03Copy, Change, CompeteEvery meme you’ve ever seen went through the same four-step loop.~4 min
4. 04The Host Is TemporaryYou don’t just have ideas. Ideas have you, for a while.~3 min
5. 05Be a Good HostNow you know how memes spread. The next question is which ones you choose to pass on.~3 min

Made a meme from what you learned? Submit it for Community Memes.