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What if I told you that there is a way to keep scrolling without having some loud-mouth influencer telling you to stop it because it rots your brain? You just gotta substitute whatever that you're scrolling with the big brain version of it.

Enter clever science memes as per The Lighter Side Of Science, a Facebook group that’s all about science memes to give you an educated giggle and hopefully not rot your brain.

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    So, there’s a Facebook group called The Lighter Side Of Science that prides itself in, predominantly, sharing memes that are lightly scientific and cool, all the while delivering a certain level of humor and relatability.

    The group is actually a part of IFL Science and has roughly 741,000 members as of this listicle.

    #4

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg , CryptoNature Report

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    Robin Canfield
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Their tongue is long and wraps around it's brain to protect it during high speed pecking..

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    For the record, it’s not all memes. There is community engagement going on in several ways, including IFL Science promoting its own articles and folks in the community themselves asking scientific questions and everyone else jumping on board and brainiacking this thing out.

    Engaging to say the least.

    #7

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Jessica N
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My cat does weigh 300 kilos but only in one paw at a time while stepping on me at night

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    #8

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Now, we won’t dive into what memes are and why they are such a big deal. The tl;dr of it is it’s become a means of communication and connectivity among folks all the while they’re popular because they’re relatable.

    What we haven’t yet discussed is the scientific side of it all: how can they be educational and why would that matter?

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    Well, turns out, you can use memes that relate to the content at hand to teach folks something new.

    Three main tactics are suggested for this, the first of which being dual coding. This one works when there is a visual and verbal component that ties in well with what you’re teaching and it ultimately strengthens student comprehension.

    The other two are using concrete examples, i.e. memes are concrete examples of abstract and complicated ideas or concepts, and elaboration, which is using memes to connect students’ personal knowledge with real world observations.

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    The former is used to support the students’ understanding of the material, while the latter helps them dive deeper into analysis and elaboration.

    #17

    Clever-Science-Memes

    Willow Annastasia Report

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    les
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    my teacher thought i was ambidexterous, sorry mrs b, i'm not ambidexterous, my writting is just as bad with the other hand

    Rosemary
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Try knitting or crocheting. I've been crocheting for so many years (decades) that sometimes I just watch my hands doing complex interconnected motions with absolutely no conscious input. They're like little machines.

    Mary Peace
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm left-handed and I've been knitting for 3 years (started late in life). Supposedly I knit 'right-handed' although I can't see it makes much difference.

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    BoredPossum
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You could train the other one to do those things as well.

    UncleJohn3000
    Community Member
    8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I did, starting at age 15 due to a Gallagher routine. At 61, my left hand does most tasks about 80% as well as my right and there are a few things that are done better by the left hand.

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    kath morgan
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The left holds a lot of shopping bags though. He pulls his weight in other ways.

    Cindy Hamilton
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a southpaw, my right hand has learned a ton of stuff to cope in a right-handed world.

    Solidhog
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My left hand is "give me a shout if you need a hand, otherwise leave me alone."

    Origami Chik3n
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know what you mean. I am left handed, but in school i was forcibly "re-educated" to write with my right hand. Hearing silent "whooooooa" when drawing graph with left hand while simultaneously writing the equation with right hand is still one of the fondest memories from uni.

    TheBlueBitterfly
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah, my left hand does just as much, I'm ambidextrous. I'm better at writing backwards with my left hand, and like to do this nifty party trick (that impresses pretty much nobody) where I write forwards with the right hand and simultaneously backwards with my left. 😅

    Kit Springs
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol 13 sitting in front of a mirror for hours on end. Yes I started as a lefty too. 👍🏻

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    Jeffrey Diehl
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm ambisinstral and it does not apply to me. But, when I am cutting food at a meal I hold the knife in my right hand and for food prep/cooking I hold whatever blade I am using in my left.

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    Caitlin M. Maguire
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No I'm an ambidexterious person. I can write with both hands, one just isn't quite legible.

    Marat Singh Farout
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did you ever realize that the way your signature looks on one of those sign with your finger computer releases looks exactly like it would if you had a stroke

    Tina Harnish
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Both of my hands work. Somethings I do left, some right, and other things I've worked on so I can do items equally.

    StumblingThroughLife
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've always thought of it as an aid to hold something steady, like a nail in the wall, for example, and to make a pair because my right hand is practically useless for anything else, lol.

    Natty Tempest
    Community Member
    7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hi kids, let me tell you a story about a lovely condition we call Dyspraxia. Some of us don't have that all-knowing hand, meaning it is a constant struggle to hold that pesky pencil... But can be done with either hand with equal discomfort.

    K Norris
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not all of us....I text with my left and write with my right, can use a calculator with my left and write with my right at the same time...ambidextrous is what I is.

    cerinamroth
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just you wait til you see Felix Klieser playing the French horn with his feet!

    Veldrin Dalharil
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    DOminant hand is: elder child syndrome. Expected to be competent, capable, able to hit the ground running for the good of the family (body). Non-dominant: Golden child. Spoiled, doesn't have to work really but will be blatantly and obviously protected from injury or removal, okay just being 'pretty' because hey the nail polish doesn't chip so do it nice on that hand....etc. ... In short I guess ambidextrous sorts are the only healthy family body part dynamics out there XD

    Karen Philpott
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah, my left hand can write, draw, paint, grab lollies from my lolly bag in the car console, so it's not a lack of use from my left hand. Training and ambidextricity help.

    Bec
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lefty is a good helper, did light factory work and Lefty was there to set up righty to keep things moving. We got paid extra for efficiency and I always hit the max

    Deborah B
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's like that one lazy coworker "You climb up and clear the gutters, and I'll hold the ladder for you." every time.

    Whopdeedoo
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kind of, but my left hand does everything and then my right only knows how to write

    Mary Peace
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm left-handed. When I was about 7yo, I was told left-handed children used to be forced to hold their pen/pencil in their right hand, and got smacked with a ruler if they used their left hand. That made me cry, just imagining it.

    MAKtheknife
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nope. I taught my left hand to write and to be useful, otherwise its just hanging around doing much of nothing. Now, if I break my right hand the left one can step in and be of use.

    Eunice Bentley
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So I am right handed, broke my right wrist. Left hand had no problem taking all tasks but signing my name. That's okay nobody minded the mess. Broken wrist healed, left hand said glad you're back and couldn't do anything on it's own again. Broke my left hand, 5th metacarpal and wrist bone right under it. Incapacitated 2 fingers. Right hand had no idea what to do without the left hand there to be it's backstop .. washing dishes, vacuuming, sweeping the floor, etc. When my right wrist was broken, I would put a plastic bag over my cast and wash dishes, hold wet cloth in right hand, use left hand to move the dish around until it was clean. Those 2 non-functioning fingers really made it hard to hold that wet dishcloth in the left hand.

    moeless
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless you play guitar...or piano...or drums...or, never mind.

    Melinda Flick
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are things that my non-dominant left hand does better than my right hand, though. I think it's practice... I'm not the least bit ambidextrous, but the left hand isn't useless.

    ConservaDave
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some of my toes hate each other's guts. My big toe is afraid of the dark.

    Knit_wit
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And neither of my hands can hold chopsticks very well.

    DragonofMordor
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some of us use both hands. Not fully ambidextrous. But while I write with my right hand, I do everything else with the left.

    Liv
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My left hand is the hand that knows everything and then my right hand is just like "...I Held a piece of pizza once."

    Nancy Lynch
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My left hand is better at opening cereal boxes and soda bottles. The right hand just keeps things in place while the left does all the work.

    Stormblessed
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm ambidextrous but weirdly. I write with my right in two languages, but write with my left in another language. Sadly, no one believes me and they say I'm writing random stuff when I write with my left :(

    Knitting Panda
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Except my husband. Ambidextrous, and he swore no one ever tried to force him to be right handed. He just always had somethings he preferred to do right handed and somethings left handed, but he COULD do most of them with either hand. For instance, he wrote left handed, but used tools right handed.

    Knitting Panda
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He ate either way, depending on whether he sat next to a right handed or left handed person.

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    DRMAGDN
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes. Took me forever to get my weak hand going as a drummer.

    AlienBarbu
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm a lefty, so lately I'm kinda practising writing with the right hand just for the fun of it, even made a little journal and I'm getting used to use a pencil with my "wrong" hand lol

    Ropre
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think my left hand is even attached to my brain!

    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My poor left hand has been the recipient of lots of pain over the years. Even had a drill bit go through it :)

    Flora Porter
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    On me it's not so straightforward. One hand can do everything you learn till the age of 7, with every adult form of that (so hold a crayon and also an eyeliner) and another that's now stronger and dominant.

    Donald Crocker, Jr.
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's worse if you were born a naturally left handed and had one of those teachers that forced right hand usage, then you have a useless hand and an unskilled hand that can't make a smooth line.

    Beverly Lodge
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am right handed but do everything left handed except right. I wasn't taught this way and I don't consider myself ambidextrous, but brushing my teeth with my lefty feels like I'm a child.

    Amy E
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Leftie has her responsibilities, she's aware. Steering wheel while driving, the stabilizing of jars when pouring, switching off if Rightie gets cold.

    Guess Undheit
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's weird is that the larger group "thinks" the smaller group is "wrong" and should be violently forced to switch so that everyone uses the same hand. Most of the world still does this.

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    This in turn means that students can also engage with the material by explaining the memes that tie in with the topic and by creating them.

    For the first one, students can be provided with appropriate memes or asked to source existing memes to explain how it connects to what they have learned in their own words.

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    #19

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg , AnnaGHughes Report

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    Verena
    Community Member
    8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well done. For those not familiar with champagne: The French are very protective of that word. Only sparkling wine from that exact region is allowed to carry the word "champagne" on the bottle. For every other wine with bubbles "sparkling wine" has to be used. Or Crémant. Edit: The Crémant part is incorrect, explanation see below. Reason for mistake: I was lazy.

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    With the second, more hands-on one, students can be asked to create their own memes by finding pictures and coming up with captions that capture the idea of what they are studying.

    The approaches to these can vary and it’s up to the teacher to find appropriate ways to deliver the material effectively.

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    #23

    Clever-Science-Memes

    Darren Ho Report

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    UncleJohn3000
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The answer to this problem was to let us include publication cost in proposal budgets. Just now being added - clean up and disposal costs for the project. Next up - accepting the fact that grad students *are* part of the cost of conducting research. NSF and NIH continue to leave them off the budget template as if they are not.

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    Now, there are risks involved. For starters, there has to be a bit of guidance with what prior knowledge is retrieved in the kids’ minds that would be associated with the study material.

    Another huge no-no is using memes that are not as accessible as others, i.e. blind kids can’t see visual memes and kids with zero pop culture awareness might not get some of the more popular ones.

    But if you avoid inappropriate angles on memes, it shouldn’t be a problem.

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    Whatever the case, memes tend to stick with people because of their relatability and thus serves as a great way to approach learning new things. If anything, the kids should have a blast.

    #28

    Clever-Science-Memes

    Tharuka Sampath Report

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    Two_rolling_black_eyes
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I worked with a paramedic in the 90s who always replied "dressed and vertical". There are many days in my life now where I use it because sometimes that's a major accomplishment.

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    We’d love to hear from you, lovely Pandas, so why not share some of your witty science facts or memes in the comments!

    And if you’re hungry for more science, then Bored Panda’s got that covered too.

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    #34

    Clever-Science-Memes

    Claudia Perelli Hentschel Report

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    Angelshark
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I, a professionally trained military photographer, forgot the word 'shutter' and called it the camera's 'blinky eye.' Thankfully, it was in front of my father and he only laughs at me for it all the time.

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    #35

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Helena
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Screw that. Be an exel god and make them beg for your help. Bwahahaha

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    #43

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg , jwPencilAndPad Report

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    Solidhog
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You then find out that he stole it to examine it for clues that lead to a large cave filled with historical artifacts and treasure.

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    #44

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Adrian
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why don't polar bears eat penguins? They can't get the silver paper off...

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    #46

    Clever-Science-Memes

    Deka A. Ali Report

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    Di
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Originally there were many different tribes living in the current Germany: Teutonen (the "Teut'schen - Deutschen/Deutschland), Normannen, Alemannia, Sachsen, Germanen) in the differrnt countries different tribes are the reason why there are so different names

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    #47

    Clever-Science-Memes

    Sudhansu Parida Report

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    Ken Beattie
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair there are a lot of really freaky mutations in real life too. They're just not usually fun ones like XMen style mutations.

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    #50

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg , eggshellfriend Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine being a farmer and some people came and trampled on your crop for a silly photo.

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    #52

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Cecilia Herrera
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So Robocop predicted robobirds? Alfred Hitchcock would have made this into The Birds 2.

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    #56

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Jinx (she/her)
    Community Member
    8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I guess 'without a vocal invite, then only if the person inside hands the warrant back,' because it's like giving dobby a sock.

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    #58

    Clever-Science-Memes

    S Dharma Teg Report

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    Ken Beattie
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think they've missed the most important part of the story... they said they were researching toilet demons. I mean WTF? Can we get more on that?

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