Read the following passage and make notes using the Cornell Method.

Write in your own

words, avoid writing full sentences, create meaningful headings/sub-headings, use visual
signs (e.g. arrows and blocks) and abbreviations, give your notes a suitable title and write a
summary in about 50 words. [10 marks]

Your brain is biologically wired for memes. Memes don’t just spread for fun; they tap into parts
of the brain evolved to help us learn from others, develop skills, and adapt to our social
environment. This goes beyond the memes tied to election cycles or scandals, focusing instead
on the basic units of cultural information that shape our understanding of the world and the
people in it. Some memes are funny, others serve as propaganda, and some contain nuggets of
truth. By paying attention to how we react to them, we can learn about our own cognitive and
emotional processes. Like jokes, memes offer a way to explore complex ideas in a safer way,
allowing us to express emotions, beliefs, and even cultural tensions without getting too personal.

Richard Dawkins coined the term "meme" in the 1970s to describe a cultural unit of information
that replicates and evolves, similar to genes in biology. He used the concept to explain how ideas
and behaviors can be transmitted across and within generations (often extremely quickly)
without relying on biological inheritance. Dawkins proposed that memes, like genes, evolve
through three processes: replication, variation, and selection. In this model, the memes that thrive
are the ones best suited to their cultural environment, just like how successful genes spread
through reproduction.

Psychologist Susan Blackmore expanded on the concept of memes, arguing that they play a
crucial role in human survival and adaptation by enabling us to quickly share and replicate useful
behaviors and ideas. Those who could effectively imitate and learn useful skills gained a survival
advantage. For early humans, this meant learning skills like finding food or adapting to the social
dynamics of their group.

Psychologist Adam McNamara drew on neuroimaging research to show that imitation is central
to how memes spread, as our brains are naturally wired for it. We all have mirror neurons which
are specialized brain cells that are designed to help us mimic the actions and behaviors of others.
This ability to imitate, whether it's learning a language or adopting a cultural trend, is key to
meme transmission.
Memes often tap into deep emotional and instinctual responses, which can make us more likely
to share them without much conscious thought. Viral memes trigger strong emotions like humor,
outrage, or joy. These same cognitive systems which helped early humans recognize threats,
form social bonds, and learn survival strategies, now influence what we share online. Recent
research using machine learning to analyze the content of memes has shown that certain
characteristics make some memes far more viral than others. The most viral memes tend to
feature a specific character as the subject, displaying clear facial expressions, emotions, and body
posture. In other words, the most shareable memes are those that transmit information that would
normally be conveyed through non-verbal communication.

Text alone can’t capture all the subtle non-verbal cues we normally have access to in the physical
world, but it may be that memes help to transmit social and emotional information that is
normally inaccessible through solely text-based communication. This is why we are particularly
susceptible to certain types of memes. They bypass rational analysis and tap directly into the
emotional and instinctual parts of the brain. Viral memes essentially "hack" our emotional
systems, bypassing slower, more deliberate forms of processing.

Computer science research using a dataset of 2 million image-based memes found that as memes
reproduce and evolve, they often become more complex. In niche online communities, a meme
might seem impenetrable to outsiders, layered with references, inside jokes, and subtle allusions.
The references to previous memes and subculture-specific information may obscure any broader
meaning, making these memes difficult to understand for outsiders.

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard's concept of simulacra helps explain this process. In
Baudrillard’s model, the most basic symbols initially reflect a basic reality. For example, a photo
of a Shiba Inu dog is initially just a photo of a dog, and most people would easily recognize the
subject of the image.

Over time, meanings shift with new reproductions. As layers of meaning and distortion are
added, the symbol can become so detached from the original object that, without specific cultural
knowledge, a person might not recognize any connection between the symbol and what it was
originally meant to portray (Baudrillard called this hyperreality).

The increasing level of complexity over time across different cultures is very similar to the way
both art and language develop. Artistic movements often build on previous styles, adding layers
of meaning and references to symbols in other works that require a deep and specific
understanding of cultural history to fully appreciate. What starts as a simple image or phrase can
quickly transform into a sophisticated message that conveys both emotions and ideas, filled with
cultural significance that only some people will understand.

Memes help us to understand the pathway between cultural information and the parts of the brain
that have evolved to process them. They tap into our neurological systems for imitation,
prediction, empathy, and emotional response and show how individuals process and respond to
cultural information. An effective meme triggers deep cognitive and emotional processes, rooted
in our evolutionary need to adapt to social cues. A viral meme can be universal, it is an image
that can be shared and understood by people from different cultures and languages. While not
every meme is profound, our engagement with them provides useful insights into human
psychology, especially as digital media becomes a central mode of communication and cultural
exchange.

Memes can also signal when we (or others) are becoming too deeply immersed in a single
subculture. If the content you're sharing begins to resemble hyperreality—detached from broader
social understanding—it may indicate that you’re adapting to a specific subgroup at the expense
of engaging in wider social spaces. If most of your communication is incomprehensible outside a
small group, it might be time to broaden your connections and reconnect with a more general
social reality. (Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/silicon-psyche/202409/what-memes-reveal-about-our-brains)

Rubrics

Note-taking rubrics

You Content Organization Mechanics

score

8-10 Captured the main Linked headings and Exhibited clarity in expression
idea, used appropriate sub-headings to the title and
Used his/her own words for presenting the content and
sub-headings, covered provided an appropriate
employed readable/common abbreviations
all the important points visual representation of the
and written a brief content, wherever possible Demonstrated ability to reduce the number of words by
summary using concise points
6-7.5 Captured the main Linked all the headings and Exhibited clarity in expression for most of the points
idea, used the sub-headings to the title and
Used his/her own words for presenting the content
sub-headings but needs provided an acceptable
to cover all the points, visual representation of the Used readable/common abbreviations but needs to
written an acceptable content reduce the number of words
summary

4-5.5 Tried to capture the Provided appropriate visual Exhibited some clarity in expression
main idea but needs to representation but needs to
Used his/her own words for presenting the content on
incorporate link headings and
only a few occasions
sub-headings and sub-headings more
cover all the necessary appropriately Used only a few common/readable abbreviations
points and write the
Needs to reduce the number of words for most of the
summary in zir own
points
words

Less Need to capture the Needs to link headings and Need to -

than main idea and the sub-headings and provide
Exhibit more clarity in expression
3.5 supporting details an appropriate visual
representation Use his/her own words for presenting the content

Use readable/common abbreviations for more

words/phrases

Reduce the number of words for all the points

Marks will be deducted for:

●​ Not using your own words

●​ Writing in full sentences
●​ Reproducing the text
●​ Not using any visual signposts and abbreviations
●​ Not writing a summary or writing a long summary
●​ Not keeping the space neat
A model answer:

Title: What Memes Reveal About Our Brains

Brain wiring for # Memes and our brains

memes Memes' influence on learning and social adaptation
Representation of cultural information
Exploration of complex ideas
# Richard Dawkins: memes replicating cultural units
# Evolution of memes through replication, variation, and selection

Neuroscience of # Memes: crucial for survival and adaptation in humans

imitating and sharing # Imitation and mirror neurons central to meme transmission
# Emotional responses → sharing of viral memes
# Characteristics enhancing viral potential and communication

The complexity of # Memes evolving → increasingly complex

memes and online # Niche memes obscuring broader meanings
dialects # Baudrillard's simulacra → shifting meanings
# Complexity → development of art, language

Meaningfulness of # Memes:
memes Connecting cultural information and brain processes
Trigger cognitive and emotional responses
Hyperreality → subcultural immersion risks

Summary: Memes resonate with our brains, evolving through imitation and emotional
response. They serve as cultural information units, facilitating learning and social adaptation.
Their viral nature reveals insights into human psychology, reflecting our capacity to share
complex ideas and emotions across diverse cultural contexts.

Additionally, you should use visual indicators such as arrows, boxes, flowcharts, etc. and
abbreviations.