this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026
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Science Memes

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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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[–] CannonFodder@lemmy.world 30 points 9 hours ago (4 children)

Isn't all pollen basically tree cum?

[–] SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 13 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

No, it's genetically the offspring of the plant, and contains at least one non-reproductive cell. Pollen produces the male gametes, so the seeds created from it produce the 3rd generation of plant, genetically speaking. (1st gen is pollen producer, 2nd gen is pollen, 3rd gen is seed.) It's basically an ultra-minimal gametophyte stage.

[–] deltapi@lemmy.world 6 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

So it's tree...pre...cum? Wait, no, the tree is throwing his balls into the air, but he also grows more balls..?

Why did I even start typing today?

[–] SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 2 points 2 hours ago

Well, the pollen does grow an enormous (relatively) schlong to deliver its sperm into the stamen...

[–] ViperActual@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 hours ago

I thought this for the longest time until I fell down a rabbit hole a while back. Pollen is literally the tree's offspring in the form of microscopic plants. When the flowers of a tree are fertilized, the pollen literally grow into the actual reproductive parts of the plant to begin the fertilization process.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 16 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

Yeah, but why does it sometimes smell like mammal cum?

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Some trees are pollinated by beetles, flies, or other insects that might normally be attracted to rotting flesh. As a result, they often emit a more meaty odor. Why cum specifically I can't say but I think cum has certain organic molecules in common with dead things.

[–] MJKee9@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

I almost did a joke re: dead things and sex, which was meant to be self depreciating.... But it kept sounding like i was stanning necrophilia. So here we are.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't cum just smell like bleach or avocado? Nothing in particular?

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

It definitely smells like salty bodily fluids.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

My nose is not so good for that, so feel free to cum anywhere, I won't fogure it out.

[–] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago

That's the strangest invite to a bukkake party I've ever gotten. I'm down.

[–] 7eter@feddit.org 8 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (2 children)

I don't know WHY. But the relevant tree is called (Götterbaum in German) or Tree of Heaven - beautiful

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Fucking hate trees of heaven, they should be called Trees from Hell. Invasive little shits grow everywhere

[–] MML@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 hours ago

That's a different tree, we have (because we plant it) the Callery pear which smells like sperm and a bloody nose combined, they chose it because of the root size and height and I guess they also couldn't smell.