this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2025
1067 points (99.2% liked)
Science Memes
16062 readers
909 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 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Can someone explain what is funny about that? Autism adhd here.
People normally feed ducks food like bread. The woman was used to this, so she was startled to see someone feeding ducks birdseed.
We're used to birdseed being used to feed songbirds or the various tree birds.
When the woman was directly informed that ducks are birds she was directly confronted with the knowledge that we put waterfowl in a different mental category than arboreal birds.
It's easy to imagine the feeling of realizing you've had a very basic, totally benign blindspot in how you conceptualize something as simple as ducks, and the woman's reaction captures that deep feeling of "now that you say it it's obvious" that a lot of people have felt. Knowing the feeling, it being slightly uncomfortable but harmless, and the general whimsy of ducks makes it funny.
It's funny because feeling empathy for silly mistakes makes us laugh.
I'll be honest I personally assumed ducks only ate fish.
Wrong shaped beak for that, shovel instead of spear
Shovels work fine for itty-bitty fishies, since there's a lid to keep them from splashing out. Also water bugs as well as of course plants.
They work, but aren't they primarily for plants and bugs?
I'm not an expert duckist, so:
https://www.ducks.ca/stories/biodiversity/what-do-wild-ducks-eat/
Pelican.
How is this not a spear?
Even the shoebill stork has a pointy end
Less the long and narrow and more how it's used.
A fishing net is also long and narrow, but we usually wouldn't call it a spear because that's not how you use it. If you spear something with your net you've made a mistake.
Personally, I'd say a duck beak is "spoonish", and the fish hunters are "grabby". Some are tweezery, and some are tongy.
Spears are sharp.
"Duckweed" is named such because ducks like to eat it. I believe aquatic plants like that are a pretty big part of their diet.