this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
1231 points (99.4% liked)

Memes

45533 readers
1110 users here now

Rules:

  1. Be civil and nice.
  2. Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 
all 34 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 124 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So, it's more interesting than this. The trees are playing the squirrels. There's a normal amount of acorns that can support a normal amount of squirrels. But once every few years, the trees make a bunch more acorns. More than the normal amount of squirrels can eat. But not frequent enough that the number of squirrels increase. So the squirrels go crazy and hide em everywhere that year, but there's no way they can eat them all, so there are a bunch of acorns planted.
Tldr: trees manipulate # of acorns to get squirrels to plant more.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's amazing nature found this blindly and it was the most efficient way to propagate as a species.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It was a good enough* way to propagate as a species

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

Local minimum, not a global minimum. Evolution is one long autoregressive process.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I just learned two new words

[–] [email protected] 93 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Acorn trees? You mean oak trees?

[–] [email protected] 70 points 1 year ago

The ones that make acorns. Acorn tree. ‘S got acorns on it, what else do you call it?

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Bruh, I know the difference, and you know the difference, but the person I shamelessly stole this meme from doesn't. Please file your concerns with them.

[–] [email protected] 89 points 1 year ago (4 children)

By reposting the meme, you have implicitly accepted full responsibility for it's content. That's like rule 7 of the Internet or something.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Fight Club Rule 7: Fights will go on as long as they have to.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

You're right, but I've said it before, and I'll say it again - they can't all be winners.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Please file your complaint with someone who gives a shit

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Here's your dunce cap: ∆

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

To whomever it may concern:

The fuck is that???

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I interpreted it to be from the squirrel's perspective. Let alone miraculously knowing what an acorn and a tree are called, how do you expect a squirrel to know it's an Oak tree?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Haha yes indeed therein lies the humor ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

But not for you, only for your grand x 100 children

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You don't get a 250 year old forest in 25 years

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Well, not with that attitude.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

? I planted an oak tree when I was 6, it's now over 40ft tall, and is currently dropping more acorns than the squirrels can handle. I'm 37 now for reference.

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

Ever met a 30 year old squirrel? Idk to be honest I have no idea how long they live

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

5-10 years, I just looked it up. So 1st set of grandkids should be able to benefit, as it's dropping acorns by year 10 or so

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

But they mature within a year. So a generation would be every year for squirrels.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

What a hero, single-handedly counteracting deforestation. You go squirrel man, you go!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

"Accidentally"
"Forgetting"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

That was the goal all along.

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

So all the clever squirrels die of malnutrition?

Makes me wonder which mechanism has limited human intelligence.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Death in childbirth because human heads are enormous?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Squirrels in it for the long con.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Ah yes the Sarah Silverman bit in a meme

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Huh, I'm not a squirrel expert at all but I understood that they're pretty good at remembering their stashes.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Forgetful squirrels are one of the primary drivers of reforestation.