this post was submitted on 11 Jul 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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[–] Kage520@lemmy.world 19 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

It's the krebs cycle. If you look at how sugar is broken down by the cells to make atp, the actual energy your cells use, it takes C6H12O6 (sugar) and makes it into a few CO2 and H2O, getting energy (atp) from breaking it down into the components. That CO2 is then exhaled, which is I think what OP is referring to.

Note: it's been a long time since I learned that in class so it is most likely somewhat incorrect

[–] AscendantSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)
[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 hours ago

Can ya feel it, Mr Krebs?

[–] gandalf_der_12te@feddit.org 12 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

it does check out. the CO2 travels from the cells through the blood into the lungs, where it is exhaled.

so technically what you exhale has a slightly higher mass than what you inhale, because it has an additional carbon atom.