this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2023
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Science Memes

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[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 186 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The do start as circles! Bees spin on their butt laying the honeycomb. Mechanical pressure mashes them into hexagons.

[–] Blamemeta@lemm.ee 73 points 2 years ago (1 children)

And thats why you sometimes find pentagons, its just squished circles.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 121 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Hexagons are the bestagons

[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 20 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm very happy this has caught on.

[–] kameecoding@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

though his how to solve traffic video is abysmal

[–] Mr_Fish@lemmy.world 88 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] TurnItOff_OnAgain@lemmy.world 47 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yes. Hexagons are the bestagons

[–] HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

The hexagreatest

[–] danielbln@lemmy.world 38 points 2 years ago (2 children)

That's... thats a fly, with stripes for some reason.

[–] swab148@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago
[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 2 points 2 years ago

There are a lot of bees that look like flies. Check out mason bees.

[–] finkrat@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago

Shove the babies in them! And barf on them!

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 27 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Obsessive Compulsive Beesorder?

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 5 points 2 years ago

Yes, this is how I relate to bees.

[–] CJOtheReal@ani.social 19 points 2 years ago
[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago

Bugs love science, simple as

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 11 points 2 years ago

Boy that’s One Committed Bee!

[–] mtchristo@lemm.ee 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You mean they skipped 4. Pointed polygons and chosen a hexagon instead. What's their problem with right angles.

[–] emuspawn@orbiting.observer 8 points 2 years ago

C'mon man, don't be a square.

[–] casino@feddit.nu 1 points 2 years ago

Less volume per unit of surface area

[–] Abracadaniel@hexbear.net 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

I believe the hexagonal tiling maximizes area while minimizing perimeter, right?

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 years ago

It's just what happens when wax deforms from pressure. You can do the same thing with plastic straws, if you pack them tightly, or compress them with your hands.

[–] Abraxiel@hexbear.net 8 points 2 years ago

A circle should have the greatest area per perimeter and I can't think of a regular polygon with more sides that tessellates.

[–] maniel@beehaw.org 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Why does it look like a fly?

[–] paradiso@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago

sssshhhh is bee

[–] chitak166@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Interesting. I haven't really connected hexagons and circles like this.

[–] Magnetar@feddit.de 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's a whole thing in mathematics, in two or three dimensions, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-packing_of_equal_spheres

[–] chitak166@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Magnetar@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago
[–] axont@hexbear.net 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Is there any paleontological evidence for insects that made less efficient hives? That would be interesting to look into.

Although I gotta imagine bugs probably figured this stuff out so long ago there might not be much evidence anymore

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 2 points 2 years ago

Haha, good question. I'm going to look at the bee family. I wonder what those fossils would look like...

[–] BoastfulDaedra@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 2 years ago

Bees would be the best goddamn software architects...