ADVERTISEMENT

If there's one axiom about the internet, it's that if a thing exists, you'd better believe there's a subreddit that has at least a few dozen funny memes about it.

Even if you're interested in subjects that pop culture often overlooks, like physics or chemistry, you are bound to find them.

Just look at 'Science Memes.' While this online community with 207,000 members isn't the biggest on the platform, it provides a much-needed supply of jokes for the geeks inside of us.

From the rivalry between Tesla and Edison to poking fun at movie tropes, these folks have it all. Continue scrolling to check out their funniest stuff, and fire up Bored Panda's older article on the subreddit if you want more science memes.

The push for STEM initiatives — coding workshops for elementary school children, or extended-day science experiments for middle school students — reigns at the forefront of the education conversation we're having today. But one might question why bother with such difficult subjects in the first place.

As STEM enthusiasm percolates, the teaching of science — its importance, its challenges — isn't always part of the conversation. So let's take a look at the conversation Usable Knowledge had with two Harvard faculty members, one an experienced high school teacher and the other a philosopher of science, whose thoughts may help to reframe and revitalize the mission of science education.

(Spoiler alert, both of them argue that science should be much more than the rote memorization of theories, formulas, and vocabulary. It should be an education in problem-solving and collaboration.)

#3

Big Facts

1fouvrl3 Report

Add photo comments
POST
max-wolten avatar
Max A.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You would want to come meet me, because I'm an engineer, and you should trust me.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

Agree?

Strong-Future2585 Report

Add photo comments
POST
gangsterghost avatar
Nathaniel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately he is copying a love letter to the pigeon. "Dear Coo coo coo! Coo. Coo coo coo coo."

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#5

Intresting Title

Strong-Future2585 Report

Add photo comments
POST
max-wolten avatar
Max A.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are you saying that anything else taken out of context is understandable? I like prezels

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

HGSE Lecturer Victor Pereira, who taught high school science for more than a decade before becoming the master teacher in residence (science) in the new Harvard Teacher Fellows Program, knows the challenges firsthand.

He says classes can vary hugely in terms of students' prior knowledge, experiences, and interest in the subject. By the time they reach high school, many students are already wary of science, thinking the material is boring and useless, or that they themselves are too dumb to learn it. And building an understanding of science depends on acquiring a new and complicated vocabulary, which can be odious to teach and to learn.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tackling these obstacles, educators should help their students approach science as more than an academic subject. "The nature of science itself is: make observations of the natural world, try and identify patterns, ask questions, find answers, ask more questions," Pereira says. "It's solving. It's a way of thinking." He argues that educators should portray science as acquiring skills, rather than memorizing facts. If the classroom focuses on the scientific process of discovery, more students will be engaged in the subject matter.

ADVERTISEMENT

HGSE Professor Catherine Elgin, who has devoted her career to the philosophy of science, has theorized that learning science includes the pursuit of another attribute: morality.

Scientific inquiry, according to Elgin, requires collaboration. Any project, in fields ranging from astrophysics to microbiology, requires a team of scientists working together to garner results. This collaboration requires trust. In order to be confident in their findings, scientists need to be able to trust both their teams and the researchers whose work they have studied.

#16

Cut The Bull

jaketocake Report

Add photo comments
POST
professormcgonagallminerva avatar
Stardust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those rings are huge. I may have to change my favourite exoplanets list

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#17

Quantum Toe Tappin’ Oc

ErixWorxMemes Report

Add photo comments
POST
professormcgonagallminerva avatar
Stardust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it hadn’t been for cotton eyed joe, I’d be married a long time ago. Where did he come from where did he go? Where did he come from cotton eyed joe

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Scientists have to be trustworthy if they want to uncover new knowledge and advance their fields. They do, after all, want their findings to contribute to the discovery of truth — an underlying goal of any scientific inquiry. Furthermore, scientists know that the public depends on them to publish accurate research that will lead to necessary advances in health and technology. To meet these expectations, findings must be honestly and meticulously recorded. Because this trustworthiness is a moral attribute, Elgin highlights, scientific inquiry is a moral activity.

But how does this connect to science education?

#19

Always Mysterious

thereinaset Report

Add photo comments
POST
professormcgonagallminerva avatar
Stardust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Quantum mechanics is too complex. If something goes wrong in the quantum realm then the universe can end

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

This Is So Accurate It Is Weird

tech_on_air Report

Add photo comments
POST
professormcgonagallminerva avatar
Stardust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They’d be done with me in 5 minutes. Astronomy is so huge and interesting that I managed to somehow turn my old friends against me

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#21

Wonders To Self…why Didn’t They Just Put The Cows In A Field? But VR Glasses It Is!

CHOAM Nomsky Report

Add photo comments
POST
gangsterghost avatar
Nathaniel
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So the cow is watching a moovie? Are there cowmercial breaks?

ezekielrhymes1 avatar
emzys-slimes avatar
Official Cat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know this might be shocking, but what if you just supplied cows with the natural resources they need, the only reason they would need a simulated environment is if there actual one was unhealthy or bad for some other reason, right? If i am wrong please correct me :)

bentontaylor1 avatar
Freddy H
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Land costs money. Yes, VR headsets cost money too, but only once upfront. Governments have not yet figured out how to charge annual property taxes on virtual land (but I'm sure they're working on it).

Load More Replies...
jppennington avatar
JayWantsACat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If they get motion sickness from VR, like I do, is that where sour cream comes from?

julmurfren avatar
Julia French
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it must be very stressfull to see all that fresh grass and smell only barnyard and taste only dry hay.

elizamay2015 avatar
Eliza May
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BS, unless they lock the cow in one spot - how does it look where it's walking to graze outside or eat hay/silage inside through a metal rack?

sanchorb avatar
LSR
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cow watching video: "Hay delivering bull: Hey Miss cow, here I have the hay stack you asked for....Cow: But I don't have anything to pay you with...Hay delivering bull: Well, I know how we can...settle this..." (WHAW WHAW CHAKA WHACKA WHAW WHAW...)

clanmorello avatar
Lynn Morello
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cows are seeing green grass and they can't eat it. That is torture.

nathanspear avatar
Nathan Spear
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey, at least we're getting SOMEWHAT self aware when talking about how we needlessly kill and abuse animals for our pleasure

isomorphix avatar
Jude
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I was a cow, I would be more upset, seeing green summer pastures and knowing I was restrained in a barn and unable to get to them.

cliffanderson avatar
Cliff Anderson
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Summer fields make me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind …. 🐮

moosygirl avatar
Moosy Girl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What I’m wondering is since cows have near 360° vision how do these headsets work on them?

axanthus avatar
Drea Benoit
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the biggest plot points of The Matrix was that humans rejected the relaxing, happy virtual reality that the machines first created. So, they changed it to a more chaotic (putting it nicely) simulation and then humanity accepted it. Just saying

makajhabanjjjak avatar
Makajha Banjjjak
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, I guess sanctions will take a while to kick in, if they have cows with VR in Russia.

alexernst avatar
Alex Ernst
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a pretty horrifying sidequest in Cyberpunk that uses this idea. Dark Future indeed.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Elgin says that the process of learning science reinforces these attributes. Chemistry majors cannot become chemists — and high schoolers cannot pass their chemistry labs — if, as students, they do not work together, double–check their assignments, and remain honest in their reports.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Science does not happen on an island or in isolation," Pereira adds. It's actually the science teacher's responsibility to make sure that students understand the importance of collaborating, along with staying organized and paying attention to detail.

#25

Made Me Chuckle I'm Sure This Crowd Can Appreciate It Too.

PsyMages Report

Add photo comments
POST
ameliaoxborrow avatar
Roseriver_DSMP
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's an exoplanet named Wasp-12b. And it's shaped like an egg due to being so close to it's star the layers of gas are being torn apart, and stretched due to the immense gravity.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

These interrelated characteristics of science education — the process of discovery and the collaboration on trustworthy results — are not mutually exclusive. Pereira thinks that science teachers should encourage their students to look at scientific advancements through an ethical lens, looking for patterns and asking questions about scientific developments. Science teachers should help students think critically about current technologies made possible by science, and reflect on whether future technologies will be morally acceptable.

#26

We All Have Obsessions. This Is Mother Natures.

taviken Report

See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

Everyone Loves Stability, Haemoglobin Included

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
amdeane1123 avatar
Ashley Deane
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lmao I get this! I'm so.. proud.. of myself for understanding so many of these. Saying I'm proud of myself is weird for me but this next statement is even weirder... Maybe I'm not as stupid as I think.. maybe I've been underestimating myself

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

The good thing is that in many countries more young people are taking STEM subjects at university than ever before. For example, according to UCAS, since 2011, acceptances into computer science courses in the UK have risen by almost 50% and acceptances to engineering courses are up 21%.

Not to mention the 400% increase in acceptances for students wishing to go on to study artificial intelligence.

Just think of all the good memes they will produce!

#30

Boom, There Goes The Warmholes....

SakibSadi96 Report

Note: this post originally had 47 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.