There are curious parallels between the geographic spread of non-rational ideas and biological parasitism -- or phrased differently -- between
memetic and
genetic pandemics. Consider two examples from European history -- the expansion of
Christianity and the spread of the
Great Plague (a.k.a. the Black Death) -- as shown in these two maps...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie71PHyl_AadqWc-9YC2eqrLV-Pw2JSyox8ak6xaiWST3oDKJdqKQKPTXVEyihYSPJ9n3AukgJ73LrpqVq0eCAeXaYaGVPy8be_oW6HkNakSFDeU5mN_Jrgp2KHd6PALC_B_I2vFAnZQ/s400/Map7-SpreadofChristianity.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqj_7ZNkEPBykUCXCNyI4osZBYgd_cO6BO04XccDOCzRfnRJUxUJQlIS7BGfH8dVVh2_YDBi-jIcO3zox2p1v5kl6tRYQkwNVl2FetjsXwR7vhoHNjPaAvbMSjdPoW5QA9pxDU-l4wg/s400/plague2.gif)
Different timescales, points of origin, and mechanisms for transmission + replication + mutation, of course, but nevertheless parallel phenomena for humanity to apply scientific methods on, to ever more thoroughly understand, and to ultimately prevail over.
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