this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2026
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Science Memes

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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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  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
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  4. 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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[–] PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

IMO you need basic calculus to understand the laws of physics. Like at least to understand that the derivative is the rate of change, the integral is the area under the curve, the fundamental theorem(s) of calculus, and what limits are. You don't necessarily need to do δ-ε proofs, but at least the qualitative stuff is worth teaching.

I took algebra-based physics for my music degree and then calculus-based physics for my engineering degree. Algebra-based physics explained basically nothing for me and had zero impact on my understanding of the world. Calculus-based physics will stick with me forever.

Like I'm with you that outreach is important and should not be dismissed, but I really don't see the utility of algebra-based physics.