Developmental knobs

Development features a number of what are fairly widely called "developmental knobs". A "developmental knob" represents a scalar variable whiich affects development and which can be influenced, or "turned" by genes, the environment, or some combination of these factors. The knobs are implemented using a variety of means - including changing chemical concentrations, developmental delays or altered behaviour patterns. A few examples:

• Reproduction/maintenance axis - controlled by the dietary energy restriction;
• Muscle investment axis - controlled by exercise;
• Hunger axis - controlled by hormones - e.g. grehlin;
• Love axis - controlled by hormones - e.g. oxytocin;
• r/K axis - controlled by resource availability;

Not all of these knobs are solely under genetic control. Many can be influenced by symbiotic visitors. Some gut microbes are known to promote ghrelin synthesis - and probably that helps stimulate their hosts to eat more food which in turn feeds the microbes. Plants attempt to manipulate the developmental systems of the animals that feed on them. An example is phytoestrogens - which are typically hormone-like compounds in pllants that bind to estrogen receptors in animals, blocking uptake of real estrogen and so sabotaging the sexual development of the animals involved.

Some memes are likely have access to some of these developmental knobs. They probably use them to divert host resources away from host reproduction - and into meme reproduction. Sterlizing their hosts is a common interest of many memes. That memes sterilize their hosts is very well documented. Getting a college degree appears to severely hamper reproductive output for many women. See The sterilization of females for more.

The r/K axis is a well-known developmental axis. One end of it favors rapid reporduction and the other favors lots of parental investment in each offspring. If memes could get hold of it, they could reduce host reproductive output, likely to their own benefit.

Another example is the "love" axis. Christian memes encourage their owners to love Jesus. That Jesus is a long-dead creature of myth and legend is apparently not a big deterrent. As far as I can tell, some Christians are genuinely in love with Jesus. That the associated memes benefit from creating this love seems likely.