IIRC, paleontologists LOVE the Thagomizer.
this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2025
1 points (100.0% liked)
Science Memes
17233 readers
955 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
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- 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
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Yup, because of his comic about it, paleontologists have officially named it the Thagomizer.
I like when stuff like this happens.
Me too. It feels like some piece of the Universe slipping into just the right place.
Named after the late Thag Simmons...
“Mom, I want a thagomizer!”
“We have a thagomizer at home.”
The thagomizer at home:
This meme and the Far Side comic it references always makes me think of this meme:
I have the Thagomizer comic hanging at my desk because I was raised on Larson and to always remind me that silliness can make a profound impact.
What crazy timing. I've been cooking the past couple hours and randomly thought about the thagomizer.
let's be honest, we all think about the thagomizer every few hours
It's better than constantly thinking about the Roman Empire
I'm not supposed to tell you this, but this is not random. you're basically in the truman show, and you're the central character. They noticed you thinking about it, so made sure it became relevant again!
Sorry for such a lackluster show if it comes down to making sure I'm looking at the correct memes
meh, it's not as if there's anything better on TV
From wikipedia
Cartoonist Gary Larson invented the name "thagomizer" in 1982 as a joke in his comic strip The Far Side, and it was gradually adopted as an informal term sometimes used within scientific circles, research, and education.
Also wikipedia
The term was picked up initially by Kenneth Carpenter, then a paleontologist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, who used the term when describing a fossil at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in 1993. Thagomizer has since been adopted as an informal anatomical term and is used by the Smithsonian Institution, the Dinosaur National Monument, the book The Complete Dinosaur and the BBC documentary series Planet Dinosaur. The term has also appeared in some technical papers describing stegosaurs and related dinosaurs.
How is this still "informal" when all the big guy using that? You can't just anthagomize someone because they aren't from the same community!
This comment is great just for "anthagomize," a word autocorrect really didn't want to grant me.
Honestly i just wanna make that pun.
That was clear!