this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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Science Memes

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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.

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  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

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

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submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Don't take this the wrong way but from the list of achievements she sounds very much a Politician/PR-person/Lobbyist specialized in the area of Space Exploration, not an Engineer or a Scientist.

Still beats Beer-belly Brad by a long distance (probably not hard), but is such a person really worth celebrating in Science Memes?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 18 hours ago

As long as these types pay attention to what the scientists tell them and explain it to others accurately, they're helpful

[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Here's the thing, we scientists need our cheerleaders. We spend our time getting good at doing science, so it's worth it to hire someone who is good at hyping and advocating for our work. Go listen to the recordings of James Webb trying to explain to JFK that we need to do a shit-ton of science before we can get to the moon. JFK just plain doesn't understand the magnitude of what he's asking for. He thinks we could do it in 6 months. This lady is our champion.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 20 hours ago

Certainly more than "arm chair Monday morning quarter backing"

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just because she isn't a straight engineer or scientist, doesn't make her expertise less worth it I don't think. And I would think that would make a very narrow acceptable requirements for this place.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

It makes her an expert in advocacy and politics, not science or engineering.

Obviously advocacy expertise is no less worth than engineering expertise or science expertise, just like arts expertise is no less worth than any of that and ditto for plenty of other kinds of expertise in complex areas.

However, the "salesmanship" kinds of expertise are already the some of most widely celebrated and rewarded by present day society, hence my point.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

So you're saying that science _memes should only accept memes from active practicing scientists and engineers with degrees in their own specified fields?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You might want to re-read my posts a couple of time and think about it a bit harder, if the conclusion you derived from what I wrote is that I want to gatekeep the posters.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 14 hours ago

No need to be rude. Here, since I'm so simple minded and dumb I'll try to convey as best as I can to one such as yourself. You're saying she's an expert in advocacy (how does one become an expert in that?) and politics.. or maybe showmanship?, it doesn't make her an expert in space programs. We should celebrate those people less, and feature actual scientists and engineers more. What I'm saying is that would be a narrow band if we just include people who's job titles are scientists and engineers, because we are assuming other people in similar expertise fields would not know the original tweets context. If that is off base, my deepest apologies.

It makes her an expert in advocacy and politics, not science or engineering.

Obviously advocacy expertise is no less worth than engineering expertise or science expertise, just like arts expertise is no less worth than any of that and ditto for plenty of other kinds of expertise in complex areas.

However, the "salesmanship" kinds of expertise are already the some of most widely celebrated and rewarded by present day society, hence my point.