Medieval Memes

Posts tagged with Medieval

The Alchemists' Economic Blindspot

The Alchemists' Economic Blindspot
Medieval alchemists were basically the original supply-and-demand flunkies! Spent centuries mixing weird stuff in cauldrons trying to turn lead into gold, not realizing that if everyone could make gold in their basement, it would become as valuable as dirt. The entire field of economics just sitting there like "umm... should we tell them?" Gold's value comes from its rarity—if you could manufacture it like plastic straws, you'd be paying for your coffee with a wheelbarrow full of gold coins. Those poor alchemists with their philosopher's stones and elixirs never took Econ 101!

Synthetic Chemists Represent

Synthetic Chemists Represent
The eternal struggle of synthetic chemists! While they're busy discussing complex reaction mechanisms and multi-step syntheses, there's always that one person who thinks they're just fancy alchemists trying to turn lead into gold. The hilarious disconnect between modern chemical synthesis (with its precise calculations, controlled reactions, and molecular engineering) versus the medieval pseudoscience of alchemy is perfectly captured in this suspicious squint. Next time you hear someone mention "ligand optimization" or "stereoselective catalysis," resist the urge to ask if they've found the philosopher's stone yet!

M'Chemical Compounds

M'Chemical Compounds
The medieval courtesy extends to molecular compounds! First we bow to lords and ladies, then naturally to CH₃CH₂OH. Because nothing says "I respect you" like acknowledging the chemical structure that's gotten humanity through awkward social gatherings since fermentation was discovered. The molecule even dressed up formally with its hydroxyl group! Next panel: M'Glucose with its fancy ring structure.

Could This Actually Work? (Medieval Atom Splitting Edition)

Could This Actually Work? (Medieval Atom Splitting Edition)
Medieval physicists trying to split the atom be like: "Just hit it really hard with this stick." The meme shows a primitive version of a particle accelerator—a wooden staff with a metal chain attached to what appears to be two halves of a metallic sphere. Spoiler alert: Neutrons don't respond well to blunt force trauma! The energy required to split an atom is approximately 1 million electron volts, which is slightly more than your average medieval blacksmith could generate with a wooden stick. But hey, points for creativity in experimental design! At least they wouldn't have to worry about nuclear fallout when their experiment inevitably failed.

Ye Olde Periodic Table

Ye Olde Periodic Table
Remember when chemistry was just four elements and you didn't need a PhD to understand what you were made of? Medieval scientists be like: "Hmm yes, this rock has too much Earth energy, better balance it with some Fire." 🔥 Modern chemists need 118 elements and counting, while ancient Greeks were vibing with just Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. No wonder they had time to philosophize all day - their periodic table fit on a napkin! Next time someone tries to explain quantum chemistry to you, just point at this and say "I prefer the classical approach, thank you very much."

Classic Anti-Vax Arguments

Classic Anti-Vax Arguments
When someone uses "it disappeared without a vaccine" as their winning argument against vaccination, but forgets the minor detail that it killed approximately 25 million people first. That's like saying "my weight loss strategy of cutting off a limb technically worked!" Sure, the Black Death eventually burned through the susceptible population—after decimating medieval Europe. Natural selection at its finest, just with a 33% mortality rate! Next time someone pulls this logical masterpiece, remind them that "waiting it out" isn't exactly a medical breakthrough.

When DNA Calls For A Crusade

When DNA Calls For A Crusade
This meme brilliantly combines medieval history with molecular biology! The knight is looking at DNA's nucleotide sequence (TAGCCGCAGCCG) and noticing it spells out "TACCG" which resembles "Time for a Crusade" to his medieval brain. It's basically DNA giving holy orders! 😂 For the science nerds: The left panel shows DNA with its nucleotide bases (A, T, G, C) which form the genetic code. These four letters are the alphabet of life itself, encoding all the instructions needed to build and maintain living organisms. The knight's reaction is what happens when you let historical figures interpret modern science!