In the first chapter of Universe of the Mind: A Semiotic Theory of Culture, Yuri Lotman explores how texts act within semiotic systems, transmitting information, creating new meanings and preserving cultural memory.
Lotman, one of the founders of the Tartu–Moscow semiotic school, proposes that texts are not mere passive vehicles of information, but active agents in the generation of new meanings and in the preservation of cultural memory. He challenges the traditional view that the main function of texts is to transmit information accurately from a sender to a receiver, introducing the idea that texts also have creative and memory functions that enrich and transform cultures over time.
Reflecting on this chapter, I see how its ideas can be applied directly to science and health education, the fields in which I work. Lotman presents three essential functions of texts: the transmission of information, the creation of new meanings and the preservation of cultural memory. As I explore these functions, I see how they show up in our educational practices, especially in my own areas of neuroscience teaching and the training of health professionals.
First, the transmission function is the most familiar and intuitive, especially in educational settings. It can be illustrated when, in neuroscience courses, we use articles and books that explain fundamental concepts such as the structure of neurons, the synapse and the mechanisms of neurotransmitters. These materials have the clear purpose of ensuring that all students receive information that contributes to building knowledge in that field. This process of transmission offers a common platform on which we can build more complex and specialized discussions.
In health education, the transmission function is equally critical. Think of the hygiene and safety protocols distributed to health professionals. These texts instruct, but they also standardize practices that are important for the safety of both patients and professionals. Here, the text works as an indispensable guide, providing information so that everyone can follow the same procedures and, in the end, the quality of care is consistent in terms of standards.
However, Lotman invites us to think beyond the mere transmission of information by exploring the creative function of texts. The creativity function is particularly relevant when we think about innovative ways of engaging students. I can illustrate it, again taking a neuroscience course as an example, by adapting a clinical case study into an interactive simulation as a direct application of this idea. Take a case of multiple sclerosis: by turning it into a virtual experience in which students must diagnose the patient and propose a treatment plan, we are indeed transmitting knowledge, but we are also allowing students to explore different scenarios and the consequences of their decisions. This active and creative approach enriches learning, fostering a deeper and more practical understanding of the concepts. It is this possibility of seeing meanings in the text beyond the immediate transmission of the data presented that Lotman calls the creativity function.
We can illustrate this function equally with the following situation: when creating an educational campaign on mental health for adolescents, using language and cultural references that resonate with this specific audience, bringing other thoughts (cultural texts) into the context, is a clear demonstration of the creative dimension. By adapting the content to reflect adolescents’ experiences and concerns, new forms of learning are created that go beyond the simple transmission of objective information about the campaign’s topic.
Finally, Lotman arrives at the memory function, which concerns the importance of texts in preserving and passing on cultural and scientific heritage. In neuroscience teaching, for example, we can revisit classic texts such as Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s studies on the structure of neurons, and many others from different moments in the evolution of this field (diachrony). These texts are not read merely as historical documents; they are reinterpreted in light of new discoveries and technologies, offering students a rich and dynamic view of the historical development of neuroscience. This process is what Lotman calls the memory function.
We can likewise illustrate this function in health education, when Florence Nightingale’s writings on patient care are revisited as a source of teaching and dialogue. Although specific practices in the field may have evolved, the principles of ethics, care and professionalism that Nightingale articulated remain relevant. Reinterpreting these texts in a contemporary context, drawing on the memory function, allows future health professionals to understand the evolution of the field and to find inspiration in the foundations that continue to shape nursing practice.
The functions of transmission, creativity and memory, as outlined by Lotman, thus describe how texts operate within a culture. They offer a valid and interesting way of thinking about how cultural texts work within given systems, from the perspective of cultural semiotics.
This text is part of the guide Cultural Semiotics: Lotman, the Semiosphere and Education.
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