this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
650 points (89.6% liked)

Science Memes

15597 readers
1606 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 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 85 points 3 days ago (10 children)

bill nye is not a scientist, and he never claimed to be one. He is a science communicator, a role he has done well for some time.

Same with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 days ago

He specifically claims to be a science guy. Not a scientist.

...

BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Neil DeGrasse Tyson has a Phd in astrophysics and he has published a lot of papers. He is a scientist and a science communicator. Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye are not the same.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago (12 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago

Sure but watching him on nova when I was a kid is a big reason I got so into science and engineering so I don't really care

load more comments (11 replies)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Not the same with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

I'm not his biggest fan, but I fully respect his scientific credentials. He has a PhD from Columbia. He published at least a dozen papers. There's no question that he's a scientist, a manager of scientists, as well as a science communicator.

The problem is that his success seems to have destroyed his humility. It's not that he brags about being so incredibly smart. It's more that he doesn't ever seem to sit back and say "hey, maybe this isn't something where my contributions won't be appreciated". I think his science communication is doing more good than harm. I think he's a great role model for little black boys who think all scientists are white, or that they're all stuffy nerds with no personality. But, I think he's at his best when he's in a show where there's a script and an editor. On social media and on free-form podcasts, he comes off as a know-it-all ass.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (6 replies)
[–] [email protected] 64 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

to be fair bill nye is using his degree and teaching rather than someone that just ditched his degree after he got it. in a job setting they will take bill nye over someone that hasnt used his degree in a while. some people. one is passionate about the stems while the other ones wasnt, some people get higher degrees just because of pressure in thier social circles and then end up hating it and leaving, there were alot of those people in college.

they are seeing someone as having more prestige and degree means they are more qualfied than someone that has more experience in the field.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If anything, in my 30 years I've learned degrees only mean so much. Someone without a degree but with actual on the job experience will out perform a new grad any day of the week.

Frankly the university system has become a way to make sure the poor stay poor.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago

Carl Sagan, Neil Tyson, Dora the Explorer. All very important. Be interested in things.

[–] [email protected] 120 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Nye is more of if an educator than scientist. A lot like your average science teacher in high school.

Dolph is usually posted in this manner to put down Nye's support for climate research, anti creationism, and other 'political' stands.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

He still audits classes at MIT occasionally.

[–] [email protected] 152 points 3 days ago (11 children)

Eh, it's more about the enthusiasm than the qualifications. Plus, while Bill Nye is no angel, at least he's not a Putin supporter.

[–] [email protected] 135 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Bill Nye is an entertainer / educator. I've met plenty of people with PHDs and masters who couldn't present a basic concept because they're too caught up in technicalities and not understanding what it's like to teach and get people interested in something.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'll happily take a minimally qualified Science Guy that inspires thousands or millions of people to get into science than the most sciency scientist in all science that only ever inspired people to punch people.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 47 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Is there some controversy around Bill Nye that I haven't heard?

He has been a leading science communicator covering hundreds of topics for many decades, and is only human, of course there are going to be shortcomings.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 3 days ago (2 children)

He has a reputation of just being an unpleasant dick and difficult to work with. Nothing super problematic to my knowledge, just a bad personality.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 days ago (15 children)

I've also heard that he gets a lot of weird people who are overly attached to the idea of him getting their fantasies crushed when they meet him. Realize that a lot of those "I met him and he was rude" people might not be completely honest about their encounters. Think along the lines of Paris Syndrome, but for a person.

load more comments (15 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (9 replies)
[–] [email protected] 99 points 3 days ago (21 children)

He's a science guy, not a scientist.

load more comments (21 replies)
[–] [email protected] 48 points 3 days ago (2 children)

...Does Bill Nye need more qualifications to be an effective science educator?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago

He does not. This post is gatekeeping bullshit. The only thing that matters is knowledge of a subject. This shit reminds me of the worthless dumbfucks who immediately start asking for credentials when I tell them that their understanding of AI is nonsense.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

the post thinks having more degrees means your more qualfied in that profession, and also prestige. experience and basic qualification> more degrees and prestige just because your an actor.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Whoever made this meme doesn’t know what exponentially means.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago

This is science, not math.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Lemmyoutofhere 89 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (6 children)

And he is a Trump and Putin supporter. Fuck him.

[–] [email protected] 88 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I could only find this:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2013/06/dolph-lundgren-putin-sniper-rifles-interview.html

It mentions only Putin (which also sounds like a joke) and it's from 2013 (before the annexation of Crimea).

Is there any more, and preferably recent, info?

[–] [email protected] 88 points 3 days ago

I don't care much about this guy specifically, but I wanted to chime in and say that I appreciate you looking for a source.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Maybe they're confusing Dolph with Kevin Sorbo?

[–] [email protected] 36 points 3 days ago

I think that's bigger insult than calling him a Trump supporter

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 33 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago

There's no evidence for that anywhere. Always ask for a source.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Since we are talking science, let me paraphrase Carl Sagan:

"Claims require evidence"

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

Stephen Hawking fell into the same role in his later years. If your first introduction to him was trying to communicate science to stupid people, please read Black Holes and Baby Universes, or really, any of his works before he was getting ready to die.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 3 days ago

Bill is just a science guy after all. Not a science lord.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (19 children)

What do you guys think is so special about a scientist.

They measure things and record data really well. They apply scientific principles and such.

They use lab equipment and usually have a very narrow scope on the things they are working on.

Do you think every scientist gets a nobel or something?

load more comments (19 replies)
[–] [email protected] 32 points 3 days ago
[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago

im not a scientist but my data points indicate that this meme fucking sucks

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 days ago

Exponential in which variable?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If he is a Prime, what does he transform into?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

120ft tall robot version of himself.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 3 days ago

It's tragic that he never got to play a scientist who could smell crime.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago (2 children)

"Bill nye the science guy"

Fair enough.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago

More educated, you mean? Cuz to my knowledge only one of them works in science

load more comments
view more: next ›