this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2026
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
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[–] dontsayaword@piefed.social 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
  • Lid closed when flushing prevents contamination particles spraying everywhere
  • Most toilet visits require the seat down anyway

Easy choice

[–] jdnewmil@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Easy if you make assertions without citations. The lid appears not to be effective at spreading contamination. https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553%2823%2900820-9/fulltext

[–] dontsayaword@piefed.social 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Well dang. Reading this article does provide a couple more details though:

  • Another referenced study DID find that closing the lid reduced contamination
  • It depends on the toilet shape
  • Closing the lid does change the areas that get contaminated in the room (less upward plumage):

So it's not that simple. All in all (including my other point that most trips require seat down anyway) and as a matter of personal preference (I think its nicer to have the lid closed), I'll continue to close my lid.

[–] tburkhol@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Are you sure you read that right? They report contamination in log units, so a reduction from 6.23 to 4.81 is a 26x difference. There's not much difference on the faces of lid & seat that directly face the bowl, but even the seat top had 15x more contaminants with the lid up than down.

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The floor and the walls of the restroom were contaminated after toilet flushing, but no significant differences were observed between the contamination occurring with lid position up or down. Wall contamination was minimal, regardless of lid position, and there was no significant difference in contamination level between the surfaces assessed, but data indicated that the trajectory of the aerosol plume contamination may have changed. Floor contamination was not found to be reduced consistently by toilet lid closure prior to flushing. […] it appears that closure of the toilet lid is not effective in reducing the contamination of the toilet seat area or contamination of other areas (fomites, floors, walls) within the restroom.