this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2024
427 points (98.2% liked)

Science Memes

10637 readers
2805 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

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.


Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Just so ya know, a regular modern day crocodile can also outrun you on land.

[–] thann@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 1 day ago

Yeah, but only because I'm American

[–] Dicska@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yeah but I would easily beat him in hurdles.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Don't even get me started on the pole vault

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

This is true. Or running serpentine:

"He only has a brain the size of a walnut."

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] iamahab@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago

Should be Land of the Lost (2009) if Reverse Image Search isn't failing me.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 78 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Not to alarm anyone, but unless you're doing the 100m in around 11s or less, current large crocodiles are still faster than you. But if you're fit enough to keep the speed going, you should outlast them over short enough distance.

And if you can't do any of that, well you'll have to run lateral to it and hope your agility out maneouvers them.

[–] Artyom@lemm.ee 48 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Mythbusters tested whether it was better to zig zag or run straight away from a gator. Turns out, it doesn't matter, gators won't chase you.

[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 27 points 1 day ago

They've spent hundreds of millions of years sitting in lakes waiting for food to step in their mouths. They deserve to be called sloths more than actual sloths.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Or that you have the adequate weapons on you, the knowledge and physical ability to use them properly.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] misterundercoat@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Serpentine!

[–] Tyfud@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Alligators can already outrun a person on land.

They just choose not to. Because they're lazy and they don't like running after their prey.

I suspect the same was probably true of whatever it was we killed off back then too.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Flat solid land? Nah, person wins on any distance over a few feet.

Through brush and marsh? Nobody beats the gator.

[–] Tyfud@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago (3 children)

That's not true. And another one.

TL;DR;

They can run up to 35mph over short (20-30ft) distances. Then they can run at a slightly slower (though faster than most humans) pace for a sustained period of roughly 100 feet (30ish meters for the non-'mericans).

In every scenario they can and will catch every human on earth except an Olympic sprinter. And even then, it wouldn't be a comfortable race for them.

The reason they don't chase you down and eat you on land, is because they've evolved to be ambush predators from water transitions to land. They are lazy. Simple as that. And their food comes to them in most cases. Why would they want to spend all those calories just to maybe get a un-tasty human? They conserve energy so they can perform several ambush attempts for prey, rather than one long chase.

In the end, their current approach gets them more calories for the efforts, which is why they've evolved that way.

But they can, on paper, absolutely wipe the floor with you in a sprint over solid, flat land. For 100 feet.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 21 hours ago

Yeah, humans are pretty slow compared to most animals. We're good at long distance running, but nearly every animal out sprints us. I'm sure most of us have tried to catch an animal before. I think the only ones I've actually caught are turtles on land and snakes, which weren't trying to run.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

You should try reading your source...

"Experts say the American alligator’s top running speed clocks in at 11mph."

I a fat outta shape slouch, but I think in a life or death situation I could manage 11mph for a few minutes.

Sure they can burst a good bit of speed, but that 20-30 ft sprint mostly comes from them lunging with all 4 legs and their tail as hard as they can and then maybe 1 or 2 more lunges and some scrabbling.

It's mainly a matter of weight and gait. They got stubby little side protruding legs and they weight a ton incomparison to their leg musculature. They can high walk for a good distance, and they can gallop, but only for a few steps.

[–] Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 8 points 1 day ago

Usain Bolt's fastest recorded speed is 27.79 mph.

Unless you can dust the fastest man on Earth in a footrace, you're gonna be a snack.

[–] pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online 8 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Not a lot of people can run 11mph for any distance, though.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 38 points 1 day ago

A mighty steed!

You cannot prove that humans didn't ride these into battle.

[–] blackwateropeth@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh shit, sadam is that you?

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 2 points 20 hours ago

Nah, just one if his body doubles.

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Fun fact, the reason dragons appear in literally every culture that developed language came from people surviving horrific encounters with enormous crocodiles.

[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Uruanna@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

But is that a fact

(it's not)

[–] Zip2@feddit.uk 16 points 1 day ago

Steve Irwin would still have fed them.

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

hairy crocodile? artistic liberty?

[–] lunarul@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Looks like they photoshopped a crocodile onto a bear

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

lol, i wasn't paying attention clearly

[–] Elgenzay@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 day ago
[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Gee, I wonder why those died out.

[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah, who are they calling apex predator, take a look around.

[–] pdxfed@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

More like ape-ex amirite

[–] uservoid1@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] UraniumBlazer@lemm.ee 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] MagicShel@programming.dev 6 points 1 day ago

Sure, li'l buddy! He's coming quick, so I'm just going to run over there to take a picture.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 14 points 1 day ago

Crocodoggo! 😍

[–] penguinsAreRapists@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Be the change you want to see.

I can barely take care of myself

[–] Num10ck@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

All those "dragon types" charts you see call this a drake. I don't really get that because drakes are ducks.

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

But according to those charts, ducks are wyverns...

[–] g_g@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago

it looks so cute tho

load more comments
view more: next ›