this post was submitted on 03 Apr 2026
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Science Memes

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top 33 comments
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[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 82 points 1 month ago (4 children)

You know, that would actually be the funniest possible concept if it actually turned out to be true. We discover the whole wild kingdom is like pulling a toy story on us. All animals are sentient, Our dogs actually speak perfect english.

It's much like HHGTTG said about dolphins.

“For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.”

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago

So long and thanks for all the fish!

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

HHGTTG

My friend, you can't just randomly drop acronyms like that without spelling it out at least once

Edit: oh, Hitchhikers Guide. Got it.

[–] VinegarChunks@lemmus.org 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Horses and oxen, which do not talk, are still compelled by man to labor.

[–] madmantis24@lemmy.wtf 3 points 4 weeks ago

True, but I'm sure that we would make them pay taxes or something if they could talk

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is the plot of the 2001 film classic Cats & Dogs

[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

This brought me childhood flashbacks holy shit

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 40 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Damn, that's the secret to escape the current society, just stop talking.

[–] cheers_queers@lemmy.zip 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

you joke, but there's a dude in britain that silently stands in the street holding up traffic. the cops have no idea what to do with him because he doesnt speak a word no matter how many times they intervene. lol

[–] Widdershins@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

I'd imagine that guy walking into his flat, dropping his keys on the table, digging out a seemingly empty bowling bag from the coat closet, and unpacking his day to the boa constrictor sleeping in there. "What another bloody day, Nigel. Another day-long meeting with the bobbies. No freedom no speech I tell ya."

"So this is J.T. Cornpone. He has mutism."

Me: "Well, technically it's not mutism. That's a physiological... Fuck. Now I have to move again."

[–] FundMECFS@piefed.zip 7 points 4 weeks ago

I’ve been unable to speak for a couple years due to illness.

Do not recommend.

[–] X@piefed.world 26 points 1 month ago

From the wiki:

Cribb and colleagues (2014) suggest that Bontius's account referred not to apes (as this description was from Java where the apes were not known to be from) but to humans suffering some serious medical condition (most likely cretinism) and that his use of the word was misunderstood by Nicolaes Tulp, who was the first to use the term in a publication a decade later.[5]: 10–18 

[–] BluJay320@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)

He’s just a big ol’ guy

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

needs a haircut... but really, far preferable to the typical guy. doesn't talk too much.

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 25 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

Hmm, since you put it that way life does seem rather more appealing when your only concern is where the next banana is coming from. Speaking of which, banana?

[–] BC_viper@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Of all the apes I've always thought orangutans would be the ones that were the smartest. Now maybe thats just because I watched Robin hood at a young age but I wouldnt put it past those bastards to just be like oh shit the humans are coming, look dumb.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 6 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

I saw a video one time of a wildlife photographer, shooting Orangs in the hot jungle. They seemed to understand what he was doing (they understand photography?), so while one was distracting him with poses, another would sneak up from behind and steal water bottles out of the photographer's bag.

The poor guy was trying to shoot, while guarding the bag between his legs, and the other Orang was still trying grab bottles. It was hilarious.

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Which version of Robin Hood has an orangutan?

[–] TherapyGary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 weeks ago

I always get the two confused- they might be thinking of The Jungle Book

[–] BC_viper@lemmy.world 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Damnit. Definitely thinking junglebook.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 weeks ago

Easy mistake to make, considering they recycled animation!

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

He was the smart/wise one in the Planet of the Apes remakes

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 weeks ago

There was no orangutan in Robin Hood. Are you referring to the Jungle Book?

[–] CuriousRefugee@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

"I would prefer not to."

~Bartleby the Orangutan

[–] lessthanluigi@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 4 weeks ago

~Bartlebi Žižek

[–] lonesomeCat@lemmy.ml 9 points 4 weeks ago

In Arabic he's named "forest guy"

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I always thought it was because they were orange

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Orang means human or person (not "guy", honestly), (h)utan means forest.

[–] TheOctonaut@piefed.zip 10 points 1 month ago

My other favourite Malay animal name is pangolin.

"What's that thing that rolls up?"

"Thing-that-rolls-up (pengguling)".

"Pangolin?"

"Sure lah"

[–] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

‘A Clockwork Orange’ possibly comes from Malay ‘orang’. Although Burgess alternatively credited a cockney expression, but no record of such an expression exists.