Based On A Harrowing True Story

The perfect fusion of chemistry and wordplay! In the top panel, an onion with a "+" symbol becomes "ONION" (ON+ION), while the bottom shows just the onion with "ON." It's basically the chemical breakdown of "onion" into its constituent parts—the prefix "on" and the chemical ion suffix. Chemistry nerds will appreciate that ions are actually charged particles formed when atoms gain or lose electrons. So technically, this onion isn't just making us cry—it's teaching us chemical nomenclature while doing it! The kind of joke that would make your chemistry teacher simultaneously proud and disappointed.

The eternal chemistry bait-and-switch! Paper claims "diverse substrate scope" but it's just the same reaction with 40 nearly identical molecules where they changed one methyl group to an ethyl group and called it revolutionary. Meanwhile, try anything actually different and your yield plummets to 3% with seven side products. The true universal reaction remains elusive, but hey—at least their toy examples look impressive on those colorful chromatography charts!

The cell membrane's lipid bilayer is the OG bouncer of biology! Those phospholipids are working overtime deciding what gets in and what stays out with ZERO coffee breaks. Imagine billions of tiny bouncers checking molecular IDs 24/7 while maintaining perfect formation. Meanwhile, transmembrane proteins are like VIP escorts helping specific molecules bypass the line. The selective permeability is so precise that if cellular nightclubs had this level of security, nobody would ever sneak in with a fake ID!

When your chemistry professor asks what H₂O is and you're determined to never be basic: Water? That's what peasants call it. Real intellectuals progress through increasingly pretentious terminology until they're basically summoning elder gods with "oxidane." Each brain explosion represents the exact moment when you realize you can sound even smarter at parties while talking about the same dang molecule. Fun fact: While "dihydrogen monoxide" sounds like a deadly chemical in a horror movie, it's just the IUPAC way of saying "I'm insufferable at dinner conversations." The final form "oxidane" is actually the official IUPAC name, proving chemists will do anything to make simple concepts incomprehensible to normal humans.

The beauty industry's finest marketing trick: slapping a chemical structure on the bottle and calling it "dermatologically tested." That hexagon with a checkmark isn't just any hexagon—it's cyclohexane, a petroleum-derived solvent that's about as "sensitive" to your skin as sandpaper is to a balloon. The irony of putting "Dermo Sensitive" next to a chemical that could strip paint off your car is just *chef's kiss*. Next time someone asks about your skincare routine, just say "Oh, I bathe in industrial solvents now. It's very European."

When you're a Supreme Court Justice but also a chemistry nerd in crisis! The meme shows the dilemma between nitrous oxide (N₂O, laughing gas) and nitrogen oxide (NO, a signaling molecule). The joke hinges on a famous 2022 Supreme Court case where Justice Gorsuch couldn't distinguish between "a" and "the" in a legal text, leading to a controversial ruling. Just like those nearly identical chemical formulas, small differences in wording can have massive consequences—whether you're interpreting the law or mixing chemicals in a lab. One gets you high at the dentist, the other... not so much!