this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2026
565 points (98.0% liked)
Science Memes
19602 readers
2036 users here now
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.
Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Personally, I'm excited to see what kind of biomes end up emerging on a melting/melted Antartica.
Well ok, even I'm not pessimistic enough to think I'll live to see that, in a way that its dramatically different than it is now, but hey, its like uh... a subbranch of speculative evolution, sorta.
Maybe in a 100-200 years we have enough glacial loss and icemelt that West Antarctica might have parts where actual soil is regularly facing the sun.
I think this is a 'what if all the ice was gone' map:
Personally I am not able to get excited about the prospect, with the knowledge that it happens on the back of millions of species going extinct all over the globe.
Probably 100% cow pastures.
How exactly were the names "East Antarctica" and "West Antarctica" in that map decided? What does "East" and "West" mean at the South Pole?
I googled it:
Image Source: Wikipedia
Anything between lines of longitude 0° - 180° (0° is britain GMT, 180° is opposite side of earth) is EAST.
Anything between 180° to 0 (you can think of as 360°) is WEST.
Thus you have a western hemisphere, which i guess is just tthe americas and british Isles, and an eastern hemisphere, which i guess is most of afroeurasia and australia. This is just about the only way it could've worked, but as for where 0 and 180 went, it's just arbitrary.
I would've defined the Levant as the boundary between east and west hemisphere, instead.
Fun Fact
Eastern Antarctica's ice sheet is older and more well developed than western antarctica. It will probably take longer to melt or collapse than the western half.Source: Discovering Antarctica
Collapsible bonus image + source
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Antarctic-drainage-system-comprising-the-West-Antarctic-WA-ice-sheet-the-East_fig1_338109662
Unless you stand perfectly at the south pr perfectly at the north point of either pole, there will always be an east and a west.
Yes - but you can choose any point to stand on. So all arbitrary separations in to "East" and "West" are equally valid.
We shall have the compass decide, good sir! We are but mere mortals!
Same as now. European influence.
you're thinking geographic west and east. what other definitions exist for west and east?
Under the US’s political sphere of influence vs China’s?
whose map is this? does the chinese map use different words?