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I’m currently reading Richard Dawkins’ latest book, The God Delusion, and whilst I know that Dawkins isn’t to everybody’s taste, he certainly is to mine, and I’d suggest that even if you dislike his strident views, they are still views that cannot be dismissed lightly (or at all if you seek a naturalistic explanation for our existence). It is exceptionally well argued, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the book, and I’m only half way through.

Anyway, one of the examples I’ve just read about was that of the Cargo Cult’s (see also h2g2 on the subject), which sprang up in the late 19th century through to, and during, the second world war, as bemused natives of small pacific islands were awe struck by the seeming magic of the visiting peoples ability to magic produce out of air (Arthur C. Clarke’s 3rd law springs to mind (”Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic“). The natives in some cases went as far as building air strips, coconut based radios, and talking in strange voices, all seemingly in a hope to bring about the air-drops that occurred when the visitors had done so.

It’s a startling example of how a religion of sorts can be built on the basis of poor understanding, and a need for answers. Once established, and even reinforced by the ongoing activities of their visitors, the idea became pervasive to the islands. A marvellous example of the spread of a particular meme, and repeated many times over, entirely independently.