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Science Memes
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

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- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
If you are here asking: "Is this a science meme?"
Probably, yes. We use the Dawkins definition of meme: a replicating idea, not just an image macro with a fact on it. A good post here doesn't need to teach you something. It needs to make you ask something: who, what, where, when, and especially why or how.
Science isn't a filing cabinet of facts, it's a conversation. For example, a photo of an eel or other localized wildlife counts because most people never see one, and wonder is the first step of inquiry. A car meme counts if it makes you curious about what's under the bonnet. If you want to talk about something you noticed in the world, chances are someone else wants to talk about it too.
We moderate for vibe, not category. Pruning is light, especially where a post creates interesting discussion. Experimenting is encouraged.
See the pinned paper on Shitposting as Public Pedagogy if you want the academic case for why this works.
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I hear a biologist once say that if the octopus could live to be 80 like humans, they would be in charge of the planet instead of humans.
The main disadvantage octopi have is their antisocial behavior. The parents don’t raise and teach their young. They live in solitude. The only time they spent time together is for mating, after which they die.
Octopuses that can talk to each other, hunt in groups, and raise their young collectively would be pretty formidable. Even if they managed to get there, they would still be living underwater making the use of fire pretty difficult.
Children of Ruin is a great book that describes a civilization of octopus, if you want to explore this a bit.
Wow I had to look up their lifespan because I thought they were theoretically immortal (it was a jellyfish i was thinking of). Only 5 years and octopus can be this smart? The psychotic hairless apes got off easy this time.