The science of memes, Memetics, studies how ideas develop and spread between humans in groups, and between groups of human beings. Most meme-related documents are written in consideration of religious ideas and culture, but memetic subject matter also includes ideas about ways to do things, scientific ideas, or anything that has to do with the realities of human living about which some could teach others. Groups (or packets) of related memes are often assembled into programs that Susan Blackmore has dubbed memeplexes and others refer to as ideoplexes. People who have adopted, or been imprinted with, various memes are said to be their hosts. Documents about memes often refer to their negative, or aversive, aspects, but most memes have proven to be a very useful product of evolution.

Problems develop when memes evolve and cause their hosts to conflict with other hosts whose memes spur them to insist that things always be done, or considered, according to outdated standards which have become erroneous. Such dangerous memes detract from human beings’ ability to survive in the best ways possible. Some, with no demonstrable basis in reality, cause problems between hosts that can lead to violence and, in some cases, wars between nations! The terrorists who used airliners to destroy the Twin Towers and Pentagon were led to do so by their parasitic memes. As you can see, Memetics is an important subject to learn about.