LISTEN UP LEMMINGS.

We repeatly get comments asking if something is a science meme. It is one of my favourite and least favorite questions, depending on the respect given from the commenter, so I am writing this out for clarity. Some of you have picked up on how this all works, some have not. Regardless, class is in session. There are three simple things to keep in mind for posts here:

Definition (Dawkins definition, think IDEAS, not simply image macros)
Purpose (provoking curiosity, not simply filing facts), and
Moderation philosophy (vibe over rules, light pruning)

So, if you are ever here asking: "Is this a science meme?" The answer is: 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 (though we do love a bit of slapstick too, of course).

Science is a conversation, not simply a filing cabinet of facts. 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. Academic journals are essentially like old school, pre-computer forums.

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.

tl;dr: Y'all are in my petri dish. Semi abridged version added to the sidebar, ciao.

Electric fEels in c/science_memes@mander.xyz

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 4 points 11 hours ago

PS, thank you for making me write that out. Gonna modify and add to the sidebar.

[RESOURCE] Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flat in c/science_memes@mander.xyz

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

DM me for email or I can link a wetransfer. :)

Electric fEels in c/science_memes@mander.xyz

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 5 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

An eel is something you don't see every day, so I like to leave reminders of the wonder of the natural world; but I am partial to earth science as that is what I do.

I am trying to do something a little different than pure filing an item into categories. And, it's a science sub, so experimenting is encouraged. I try to prune lightly, especially if something creates interesting discourse. Use best judgement to fit the vibe, rather than black and white rules. There are other definitions of meme too, check out the Dawkins link in the sidebar. That is the vibe, the mechanism behind the meme, make people ask WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and especially WHY, like you just did. :) "Capital S" Science is a conversation, after all. Academic journals are essentially like old school, pre-computer forums.

There is a lot of science with cars, creativity is encouraged. We see cars all the time, but there is a lot the average person does not know about a car. That would be what to aim for for that topic. If you want to talk about something you see, rather than a cheap laugh, chances are someone else will want to talk about it too.