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Equation 6 · Humanity Has Always Been a Human–Technology System

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ii

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where fif_i is context-dependent cultural fitness and MijM_{ij} represents transformation or transmission from variant i to j . The equation is illustrative, not a claim that beliefs have fixed genes or that cultural change is reducible to one replicator law. Unlike alleles, cultural variants can be intentionally modified, horizontally transmitted, blended, externally stored, and adopted because of prestige, conformity, coercion, or institutional mandate.

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