Energy diagram Memes

Ethane got hit with the nerf hammer! The rotation barrier dropped from 12 kJ/mol to a measly 8 kJ/mol. This is basically the molecular equivalent of your favorite character getting downgraded in a video game patch. The devs clearly thought those methyl groups were rotating too slowly and needed a mobility buff. Next update: watch them nerf cyclohexane's chair-boat interconversion because too many students were actually understanding it.

Chemists really know how to take the fun out of everything. That towering roller coaster you were excited about? Just an activation energy barrier that needs to be overcome. The catalyst version is basically chemistry's way of saying "let's make this less exciting but more efficient" - the story of my entire academic career. Next time you're on a roller coaster screaming your lungs out, remember you're just an electron taking the low-energy pathway through a reaction. The only difference is electrons don't have to pay $15 for a souvenir photo of their transition state.