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Mentifact is a term coined by Sir Julian Sorell Huxley, used together with the related terms "sociofact" and "artifact" to describe how cultural traits take on a life of their own, spanning over generations. This idea is related to memetics. Mentifact, which means something "made by a mind," inspired the naming of the artificial intelligence project of Mentifex ("mind-maker").

Definition

Mentifacts represent the ideas and beliefs of a culture, for example religion, language or law.

Mentifacts are the ideas, values and beliefs of a culture. Religion has shaped culture more than any other trait in the history of the world^{[citation needed]}. The ancient Aztecs sacrificed hundreds of thousands of people for their religion; Sunday is considered a day of rest in most Christian cultures. Language is also an important mentifact. Languages adapt to suit a particular culture^{[citation needed]}.