this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2025
532 points (98.0% liked)

Science Memes

15795 readers
3377 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.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



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 19 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Derpenheim@lemmy.zip 42 points 1 month ago (2 children)

He also got hilariously lucky in what he was doing. It's worth a read into the modern-day reproductions (no pun intended) of his work to see just how unlikely he was to get his results as fast as he did.

It's now believed that he altered the data, since they fit the 1:3 ratios way too well for populations where each has a ΒΌ probability. Still, very good work considering he might not have heard of the scientific method.

[–] flora_explora@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Have you got any links? A quick search didn't show up anything in that direction, only how important Mendel was for modern genetics...

[–] Derpenheim@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 month ago

https://youtu.be/lpObkqMb2_0

This sums it up pretty well. Its, of course, not guaranteed that any fishy or particularly lucky happened, but it's a lot simpler if it did

[–] TrackShovel@lemmy.today 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I believe he cooked his data, but it was the 1850s, and science was still along these lines:

Watson, do you think a monkey falling out of a tree falls slower or faster than one blown out of a tree with 00 buckshot?

I do say, Alfred, what an intriguing idea. I'll grab the shotgun and you find a rock. We will meet back here in 15 minutes and find two monkeys.

15 minutes later
Alright, on the count of three, you throw the rock at your money and I'll pull my trigger

But it's going to take time for the rock to get there - your shotgun is instant

Fine you throw on two, and I pull on three. Ready? One, two...

[–] 5714@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 month ago (2 children)

There is a German word for this: ErbsenzΓ€hler (pea counter), someone who is overly rigerous, exact or cheap.

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't think that is applicable here...

[–] 5714@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago

You shall not think, you shall count (the peas)

[–] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The Danish word is fly fucker - somehow the Danes predicted banana fly geneticists.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Fly....Fuck....er.........

Somehow that seems worse than a goat fucker.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't know where I read/listen it, but I have the memory of learning that he wanted to use rats for his experiments but the church didn't wanted to pay for the rats so he has to do it with peas.

Also, they were considered "lewd". And now we know that the genetics of rats is way too complex for him to spot any patterns.

He also attempted to study bees but they were nasty, and he didn't know that they mate while flying, rendering his breeding attempts fruitless.

[–] Pnut@lemm.ee 6 points 1 month ago

I went to college for horticulture four years ago. They still use this confusing rhetoric.

[–] tenchiken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago

Not my proudest fap

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

Why does this guy look like Doug Heffernan lol

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

Ok, now try with hawkweed.