Absolutely. Comparing the evolution of ideas to the evolution of genes is like comparing a programmable chip to a hardwired circuit. I remember reading about th

Absolutely. Comparing the evolution of ideas to the evolution of genes is like comparing a programmable chip to a hardwired circuit. I remember reading about this in The Science of the Discworld, a hilarious yet informative book where the authors described these concepts in terms of "memes" (a word coined by Dawkins, I think, to refer to the mental analog of genes) and "extelligence" (knowledge that lives outside you head, like Wikipedia). Even though we haven't evolved the ability to regrow eyes automatically, we've evolved enough intelligence to approach the level of civilization where, by playing with our own biology, we can make eyes regrow. How's that for a hack!