What are memes?

Memes, which generally function as a kind of questionnaire which a blogger fills in and then 'tags' other bloggers to complete have been circulating the blogosphere for years and some of them are quite popular and indeed fun. Others are less so...

In a discussion with two scientist friends tonight, they happened to talk about memes in physics and I finally had an idea what the word 'meme' meant! They called it a "cultural idea that is repeated and passed on." That seems to encompass some of the qualities of blogger memes.

Wikipedia actually has quite a comprehensive article on memes, as does this site. Here's another great site that explains more about memes and their importance. Fascinating!

Anyway, I'm glad I now know the origin and meaning of the word 'meme'. I never quite like using a word and not knowing what it means!