Computers model our minds in two ways. We are tempted to think of our own mental processes in terms of what we know about computers. Conversely, we attempt to implement our mental processes using computers. Over the last 50 years, these two processes have converged, providing us with a more robust analogy for human thinking while constantly improving our ability to implement human thought processes in silicon. The best model of "mind" is based on memes [1]. These are the "atoms" of the mind. For the purpose of this note, let me focus on two types of meme: category and behaviour. Computer programmers don't think about electronics or silicon [2]. They think about "objects" which are instances of "classes" (OOD-Object Oriented Design). Objects inherit from their classes the ability to "know" certain things and behave in certain ways (methods), especially the ability to communicate with other objects. A good computer program will imple...

In spite of its official contempt for merely human ideas, Zen encompasses a wide variety of ideas. The most important one is inherited from Buddhism: the idea that the mind itself is an illusion. I'm calling this particular idea from Zen the "Z" meme, with due recognition that there is more to Zen than this meme. In fact, Zen meditation is particularly valuable in allowing the practitioner to sharpen his skills in self-reflection: the first step in answering the question, What am I. The Z meme purports to answer this question in a particular way (answer: nothing). I think this idea arises from fundamental errors of categorization and imagination. We are no longer required to think of the mind as a special kind of "stuff" (as Descartes did). We now routinely speak of "things" like processes and structures which are clearly real - not "illusions". Of course, there is usually some kind of old-fashioned "stuff" involved, but you can...