▁a ▁" unit ▁of ▁culture " ▁( an ▁idea , ▁belief , ▁pattern ▁of ▁behaviour , ▁etc .), ▁which ▁spread s ▁among ▁the ▁individuals ▁of ▁a ▁population . ▁The ▁variation ▁and ▁selection ▁in ▁the ▁copying ▁process ▁enables ▁Dar win ian ▁evolution ▁among ▁m eme ple xes ▁and ▁therefore ▁is ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁a ▁mechanism ▁of ▁cultural ▁evolution . ▁As ▁mem es ▁are ▁" self ish " ▁in ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁" inter ested " ▁only ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁success , ▁they ▁could ▁well ▁be ▁in ▁conflict ▁with ▁their ▁bi ological ▁host ' s ▁gen etic ▁interests . ▁Con sequently , ▁a ▁" m eme ' s ▁eye " ▁view ▁might ▁account ▁for ▁certain ▁evol ved ▁cultural ▁tra its , ▁such ▁as ▁suic ide ▁terror ism , ▁that ▁are ▁successful ▁at ▁spread ing ▁m eme ▁of ▁mart yr dom , ▁but ▁fatal ▁to ▁their ▁hosts ▁and ▁often ▁other ▁people . ▁ ▁E volution ary ▁ep ist em ology ▁ ▁" E volution ary ▁ep ist em ology " ▁can ▁also ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁theory ▁that ▁applies ▁the ▁concepts ▁of ▁bi ological ▁evolution ▁to ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁human ▁knowledge ▁and ▁arg ues ▁that ▁units ▁of ▁knowledge ▁themselves , ▁particularly ▁scientific ▁theories , ▁evol ve ▁according ▁to ▁selection . ▁In ▁that ▁case , ▁a ▁theory , ▁like ▁the ▁germ ▁theory ▁of ▁disease , ▁becomes ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁cred ible ▁according ▁to ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁body ▁of ▁knowledge ▁surrounding ▁it . ▁ ▁E volution ary ▁ep ist em ology ▁is ▁a ▁natural istic ▁approach ▁to ▁ep ist