this post was submitted on 13 May 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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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.

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See the pinned paper on Shitposting as Public Pedagogy if you want the academic case for why this works.



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[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yup. Many Nazi scientists only cared about the research. A lot of medical and physics breakthroughs last century directly resulted from those experiments.

[–] Koarnine@pawb.social 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 1 points 1 month ago
  1. Pervitin was an early form of methamphetamine, in large use by the Nazi military. Kept soldiers awake and alert and minimized appetite to stretch rations. Research around it and similar things helped further addiction and psychological distress.

  2. Elektroboot was the first electric submarine able to stay submerged for large lengths of time without needing to vent things like diesel exhaust. Even being able to charge while submerged.

  3. The Intramedullary Rod, an essential part of modern orthopedic surgery to heal broken bones.

  4. The Horton Ho 229 was an early attempt at stealth and flying wing aircraft. While never fully produced, the development led to further research after resulting in modern stealth aircraft and overall aircraft efficiency, and by extension detection and tracking.

  5. The Enigma Machine was a marvel of cryptographic security. Pretty sure this stands on its own.

  6. Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first mass produced fighter jet. Much of even modern jet propulsion technology stemmed from this research.

  7. 3D Films were used to enhance their propaganda well before Hollywood considered it.

  8. The Z4 Computer was one of the earliest commercial digital computers.

  9. Of course the V2 rocket. And by extension every Project Paperclip scientist brought back to the US to develop space technology at NASA, up to and including the Saturn V rocket and Apollo missions.

  10. The jerrycan, for fuel transport. Literally named after the British slang for German soldiers. So useful the Allies adopted it during the war.

  11. Chloroquine, an anti-Malaria drug developed by the Nazis, initially toxic but further refined after the war.

  12. Night vision technology also had massive developments made by their military scientists.