this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 132 points 19 hours ago (12 children)

Ok but "bug" has multiple meanings, and almost nobody means "hemiptera" when they say it. More commonly, it's any terrestrial arthropod. Arachnids are bugs. Centipedes are definitely bugs.

Heck, there's a broader definition that basically includes all arthropods. "Moreton bay bugs" are a popular food this time of year. And they're a kind of lobster.

[–] stray@pawb.social 52 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

The ocean is quite literally lousy with sea lice. They've even got rolly-pollies down there.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 18 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

Not just roly-polies, but Rollison J. Pollimagnussons:

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[–] anugeshtu@lemmy.world 11 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

What in the name of Cthulhu is this?

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 11 points 11 hours ago

Its an adorable isopod

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 10 points 11 hours ago

Here’s what they look like full-grown:

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[–] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 6 points 9 hours ago

Unhand at once me you filthy dry-skinned ape!

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 15 points 17 hours ago

I make a point of referring to birds as "feather-bugs", much to the weary resignation of my RL friends.

[–] InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 6 points 14 hours ago

Where I live, the definition of a bug is super liberal to the point of absurdity.

But even that's been topped a few times over the years. When I used to be active on Reddit, I would participate in the "bug" identification sub. It wasn't frequent, but it also wasn't all the uncommon for folks to show up asking for ID on reptiles and amphibians, even remember that a shrew (or maybe it was some other small mammal) was posted once.

It wasn't that big of a surprise for me. I used to work retail decades ago and I remember a customer who returned a bag of salad greens because there was a bug in it. The "bug" was a very small baby frog (just out of tadpole stage) -- likely some kind of tree frog.

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[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 126 points 18 hours ago (5 children)

Telling someone to drink less beer and study more is wild.

Academics in general have a long history of being alcoholics or alcoholic adjacent

[–] volvoxvsmarla@sopuli.xyz 30 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Am an academic, can confirm

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

I am in 1st year of college, I don't drink, and I am failing.

[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 16 points 15 hours ago

Heavy drinking is considered irresponsible through your bachelor's. After that it's considered "networking" and "building professional relationships". With the implicit usage as a coping mechanism

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 6 points 12 hours ago

If you’re not joking, reach out to your college’s academic support/tutoring centers. They’re literally paid to be there and help you with your classes. Even if you understand all the class content already they can still help you with whatever you’re struggling with, like figuring out how much time a project needs or how to get it started/organized.

I struggled my first go ‘round in college 20 years ago and wish I’d known that, now that I’m going back I’ve been using the support systems the college has a lot more and it’s been paying off.

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[–] brown567@sh.itjust.works 14 points 17 hours ago (4 children)
[–] manxu@piefed.social 7 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Akshully I think it's either "less beer" or "fewer beers" (plural).

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago

To build on this, this usage is called a non-count noun. Less beer, less water, less air, less sand, etc. all refer to non-countable quantities of some substance. Beer could be counted, if referred to by some metric (“one glass of beer,” “24 ounces of beer”), same as “a bottle of water,” “one tank of air,” “a truckload of sand.”

Which is all to say that you’re right. “Less beer” makes far more sense than “fewer beer.”

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[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

There are three types of academics, ones that are addicted to alcohol, ones that are addicted to caffeine, and ones that are addicted to both.

(For health reasons I dont reccomend both at the same time)

[–] anugeshtu@lemmy.world 10 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

... But Irish coffee, though??

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[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 6 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I'll never forget my proffessor that just slammed monster and chain smoked cigarettes during fieldwork.

I only saw him drink water once. It was about 115 (Fahrenheit) and he took a single sip of water from a nalgene before putting it away.

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[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago

Yeah, that "EAT_ROADKILL" fellow is far too serious.

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[–] notreallyhere@lemmy.world 71 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

they kinda drink them actually

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 22 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

And they drink Bug Lite when they're concerned about their weight.

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[–] wagesj45@fedia.io 51 points 18 hours ago

Sometimes calling someone a big dumb bitch is the only appropriate course of action.

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 26 points 19 hours ago

Does "bug" have a technical definition? If so then it's news to me and everyone who uses it to mean pretty much any small invertebrate (or microorganism, or software defect).

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 25 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Usernames DO NOT check out

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[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 25 points 14 hours ago (16 children)

“Bug” is a folksy word for any invertebrate with 6 or more legs. For example, they call lobsters and crayfish bugs.

[–] Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 13 hours ago (5 children)

many people call slugs, snails, and worms bugs too. So any invertibrate with the right vibes

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[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 18 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

TranscriptionThree Tweets, each replying to the previous.

By "you're right, i'm wrong" @OkBu...:

what kind of beer do spiders drink? bug lite

By "Mentally Healthy" @EAT_ROAD...:

bad joke, spiders are not bugs only insects of the order hemiptera classified as bugs and spiders aren't even insects. maybe if you drank fewer beer and spent more time studying you would know that but it's your life

by "you're right, i'm wrong" @OkButStill:

they eat bugs you big dumb bitch

[–] far_university1990@reddthat.com 4 points 13 hours ago

Good human.

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[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 13 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Rattling off insect classifications while a simple pun goes over you're head is a great demonstration of the difference between knowledge and intelligence.

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[–] scytale@piefed.zip 7 points 18 hours ago

So you’re telling me people who drink Bud Light eat their buds?

[–] Digit@lemmy.wtf 5 points 9 hours ago

I know anti-intellectualism plays into this somewhere somehow.

... I'm just not sure where and how.

"When you argue with fools, others may not be able to tell who's the fool."

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 4 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (3 children)
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