Historical science Memes

Oh how the mighty have fallen! The 1925 chemist casually mouth-pipetting concentrated sulfuric acid—you know, just the stuff that can dissolve your organs—while today's lab coat warriors have existential crises over microscopic acetic acid splashes (basically fancy vinegar) on their gloves. Back in my day, we didn't just flirt with danger—we took it to dinner, never called it back, and still expected lab results the next morning. Now we have three safety briefings before you're allowed to look at a beaker sideways. Progress? Perhaps. But something tells me Marie Curie is rolling in her (likely still radioactive) grave.

The evolution of lab safety is hilariously captured here! The 1925 chemist (portrayed by buff Doge) casually announces mouth-pipetting concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) - an incredibly dangerous practice that would literally dissolve your insides. Meanwhile, modern chemists (represented by wimpy Doge) panic over a microscopic drop of dilute acetic acid (basically fancy vinegar) on their protective glove. What makes this extra spicy is that the concentration difference is astronomical - we're talking about comparing battery acid to something you put on your salad. The 0.00001M acetic acid is roughly 500,000 times more dilute than household vinegar. Chemistry veterans know this struggle - we've gone from recklessly tasting unknown compounds to filling out three safety forms before opening a bottle of water.

Excited about discovering new compounds? That enthusiasm evaporates real quick when your 1855 boss casually asks you to synthesize quinine with zero instructions, equipment from the stone age, and probably while huffing mercury vapors for breakfast. The transformation from optimistic scientist to hollow-eyed nightmare fuel is chemistry's version of before/after photos. Historical chemists were basically alchemists with slightly better PR—mixing random substances and hoping they didn't die in the process!