this post was submitted on 19 May 2026
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Science Memes

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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.



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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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See the pinned paper on Shitposting as Public Pedagogy if you want the academic case for why this works.



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[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

That's how wars are started. One dictator's sycophants amp up that dictator's already warped reality then another dictator's sycophants amp up that dictator's already warped reality. Next thing you know, entire populations of people are fighting and dying on behalf of some crazy asshole they will never even meet.

Now it's like every individual gets to be a dictator with a sycophantic mirror/calculator they carry around in their pocket.

Pointing this out because it really seems like it should be obvious, especially given the complete lack of transparency of the most popular AI platforms, which are usually controlled by oligarchs with government contracts: AI without transparency is a ridiculously obvious tool for bad actors to target and manipulate/control entire populations using algorithms tailored for individuals within that population.

Yes, it's what already happened with most social media. But it's also way worse because 1. It's like each individual's psyche becomes it's own echo chamber, and 2. People believe the information they're receiving is inherently more objective and trustworthy than information they could receive from any human. If the AI platform happens to completely omit, misinterpret, or just straight up hallucinate information, it's definitely not intentional, just a bug that happens sometimes. You'll just have to take the oligarchy's word for it because again, there's zero transparency.

AI and Propaganda

[–] pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

i must applaud your response👏

Thank you for reminding me my actions are justified 😉