this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
1023 points (99.0% liked)
Science Memes
20546 readers
1798 users here now
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.
Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
We live in a society
for ants
Fun fact: most known ant species' workers are 0.01% genetically different than each other (ie. queen[s]:mate[s] ratio), and therefore are closer to clones than individual consciousnesses, strictly speaking. ☝🏼🤓
closer to clones than individual consciousnesses
You know that genetic clones are still individuals with independent brains, right?
Like twins don't have to take on the same profession or have the same personality. They're about as mentally different as any other random person.
load more comments
(11 replies)
You're mixing being a clone with being the same individual and sharing a mind, which are completely different things.
load more comments
(4 replies)
This is wrong. They get the same DNA father side because male ants are haploid (meaning they have one chromosome of each instead of a pair like diploids) but they get different genes from their mother so they are more closely related than human siblings but no where near your made up number. They are still 25% different
load more comments
(6 replies)
So they're boba Fett
Some are boba-sized, even!
It's funny how different hypothetical scenarios already exist in nature.
I'm sorry to inform you that the fact is made up. It's more like 25% in the case of ants. I wrote more in another comment.
But there are greenfly who can reproduce sexually or asexually. In the former case, they have two parents – boring. But females can just have daughters with the same genetics. They don't lie eggs but are live bearing so they get pregnant when they choose to. And there isn't an age limit. In fact they can be pregnant and their daughter is already pregnant before birth, all genetically identical.
load more comments
(1 replies)
The thing that makes him a clown is thinking the queen is in charge.
But like who is in charge?
There's not really such a thing as 'in charge' for ants. The colony is a single multi-body organism.
-
her.
-
They're more or less clones, the queen is "in charge" because she's a linchpin to the colony keeping going genetically.
Where is the idea that worker ants are clones coming from? They share about 75% of their genes. That's a lot but far from more or less clones
Another comment mentioned it, but the DNA is 99.9-100% in common. Ants have haplodiploidy, so the females and males aren't just male/female versions of the same DNA.
Also, if a queen dies, her own worker larva are raised into new queens. So the meme is just silly overall.
Another comment mentioned it, but the DNA is 99.9-100% in common
And I answered that comment as well. Haplodiploidy leads to the 75% figure rather than 50% most siblings have.
Also, if a queen dies, her own worker larva are raised into new queens.
They get special food (gele royal). Ants have their role from birth, there is no changing caste. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the queen dying. Pretty sure it's more about the season of the year.
The meme says "the queen will notice me" which has nothing to do with who becomes the next queen.
It is in their nature to work like this. They are specialised drones serving that exact purpose. The queen is btw no different. It is the DNA housing drone that produces all kind of drones. Their brains are pheromonally connected. Most possibly they share one brain (and consciousness) and are equipped for some brain parts "getting lost". It is anthropomorphizing to assume that they act like a human kingdom, where the queen (or king) is the upmost of all things to achieve in one or the other way. Ants are also all female. Only drones for mating are male.
I ant serious, and don’t call me Shirley.
Like the dogstar? Man I wish my parents had named me something cool....
But the proteins compel me.
I love how the first clown makeup iteration was built in by nature of this being a false color EM
You could also make meme about queen working hard in hope for retirement :)
Lol so many people in this thread have been brainwashed.
Do you y'all seriously believe in Ants??!??
Holy shit why did I do this I'm laughing so hard right now
solo leveling arguably did ant-taur? better
what happened to 40(?) percent of workers sitting idle to act as backups?
Kropotkin in a nutshell
view more: next ›