Genes, Memes, Temes

It would seem that the brilliant minds over at TED are catching up with the speculative fiction of Ghost in the Shell and only a decade or so after the original prophecy:

Project 2501: It can also be argued that DNA is nothing more than a program designed to preserve itself. Life has become more complex in the overwhelming sea of information. And life, when organized into species, relies upon genes to be its memory system. So, man is an individual only because of his intangible memory... and memory cannot be defined, but it defines mankind. The advent of computers, and the subsequent accumulation of incalculable data has given rise to a new system of memory and thought parallel to your own. Humanity has underestimated the consequences of computerization.

Genes – a genetic “program designed to preserve itself”

Memes – “intangible memory” which “defines mankind”

Temes – “a new system of memory and thought parallel to your own”

How are all three concepts fundamentally similar? You'll have to watch the video for yourself. (If you happen to be reading this on an iPhone, here is the lower-quality YouTube version.)