this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2025
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Science Memes

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top 38 comments
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[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 39 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Butt which end is positive vs negative?

I need to know so I can recharge my battery..

[–] piranhaconda@mander.xyz 27 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (4 children)

Head positive, tail negative (seriously)

It's pulsed though, not sure how well it would charge a battery

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

So, according to the diagram, the butthole of the eel is the positive electrode?

Or did I miss something here?

[–] CaptSatelliteJack@lemy.lol 20 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That "did I miss something here?" really instills an image of you standing at a workbench with a live electric eel, various electronics parts, and an IKEA instruction booklet in hand trying to get this thing to charge your phone.

[–] spankinspinach@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I'm getting "If you're not sure, call IKEA's help center and one of our friendly associates will help you to set up your new furniture in no time!" picture vibes

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 4 points 1 month ago

Well, we can't just release them without a full battery. That would be rather cruel.

[–] magic_window@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

Piranhaconda knows what's up

[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If it created a lot of energy it would need to much food. The beauty of electric defense is that very little energy deposited has an outsized effect, by attacking your electronics directly potentially even killing.

[–] piranhaconda@mander.xyz 1 points 1 month ago

The water also reduces the electrical resistivity of skin so less power is needed to be harmful (at least for humans, some fish and reptiles are a different story)

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

You just need capacitors.

[–] HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

recharge my battery

*buttery

Oh wait that's already a word. Hang on is that why eels are slippery?

[–] swagmoney@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

conventional current positive or electron flow positive?

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 18 points 1 month ago

So that's why the eel made that face at the aquarium when I sarcastically said "nice tail, shitneck!"

[–] Suck_on_my_Presence@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago (3 children)

But electric eels aren't eels

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

That's not what their name says.

[–] sbeak@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 month ago

e. eels

I know it’s more than two, but you can do it!

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] Morphit@feddit.uk 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Only if they're travelling at relativistic speeds.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

Good thing there aren't nuclear strong force eels.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

they also arnt EELs, they are a type of knifefish, which are a sister clade to CATFISH, which also can produce electricity in some species.

[–] Devjavu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And fish don't even exist.

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

yes they do, but not as a useful, well defined category in biology.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

it's a morphological category, not cladistic.

Like how "tree" is any plant with a thick robust trunk and branchy crown.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 weeks ago

not until i shove my legs into soil

[–] UnculturedSwine@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

So, next question. If a snake had arms, would they be up near his head or closer to its butt? Like is it mostly torso or neck?

[–] python@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago

They're like 1/3 neck 2/3 torso! You can actually kinda see where the neck turns into the torso because of the difference in thickness, I marked it with a green arrow here:

It's a lot easier to see in person though since the chest moves when they breathe so you can be sure that's where the lungs start.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago

I like long butts and I can not lie

[–] NerdInSuspenders@leminal.space 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sir Mix-a-Lot must have a lot to say about this picture.

[–] OpenStars@piefed.social 2 points 1 month ago

B-b-b-b-but(t)!?⁉️‼️

[–] oce@jlai.lu 7 points 1 month ago

I heard eels love neck kisses.

All of taxonomy hinges on where the butt is.

[–] ignotum@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Everything after the butt is a tail?
Are my legs tails?

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

the tail is part of the spine, our tail ends BEFORE the butt

[–] ignotum@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Maybe your leg-tails are, but my leg-tails appear to be separate from my spine

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 5 points 1 month ago

A snake is technically sushi as it’s a shell around a cylindrical hole.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

this is such a great sub. Thank you.

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 3 points 1 month ago