this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2025
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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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[–] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Then please explain how the Hebrew calendar, and all other lunisolar calendars (calendars which follow both the solar year and the lunar cycle) have 12 months most years? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunisolar_calendar

"The majority of years have twelve months but every second or third year is an embolismic year, which adds a thirteenth intercalary, embolismic, or leap month."

[–] stray@pawb.social 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Not who you asked, but after looking into it it's because the moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full cycle of phases (one synodic month), giving it time to do so roughly 12 times per year.

I can't quite wrap my head around it, but I think the explanation for why sidereal and synodic months differ lines up with your initial explanation. Because we're also moving, the moon has to move further to achieve the visual change of moon phases.

[–] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 6 months ago

Thanks. I think the user who replied to me is the one with no idea that they're talking about. No way of measuring it comes close to 14.