Misidentification Memes

Posts tagged with Misidentification

Don't Call Me Furry

Don't Call Me Furry
The mathematical transformation being rudely misidentified here is the Fourier transform , which converts signals from time domain to frequency domain. But some poor stick figure has accidentally called it a "furry transform" instead. Honestly, that's a completely different kind of transformation that happens at conventions with suspicious amounts of mascot costumes. Signal processing engineers everywhere just collectively facepalmed so hard they created their own sine wave.

The Human Body: Engineering Edition

The Human Body: Engineering Edition
What appears to be a cross-section of some elaborate plumbing system is apparently "the human body." Clearly someone skipped anatomy class and picked up a hardware catalog instead. The human circulatory system is complex, but I'm fairly certain we don't have perfectly symmetrical pipes arranged in a cylindrical formation. Though it would make cardiovascular surgery much more straightforward if we did. Next time your doctor orders an X-ray, just hand them this and say "I've saved you some time."

Reporter Is Surely Not A Scientist

Reporter Is Surely Not A Scientist
That's not a deep sea fish with feet—it's a blobfish! The poor creature looks like this because of extreme decompression trauma. In its natural habitat (deep ocean, ~3000ft down), it looks like a normal fish. But when yanked to the surface, the pressure change makes it literally melt into this sad blob. It's like taking an astronaut's helmet off in space, but for fish. Scientific journalism fail of the highest order! Next they'll discover mermaids in the Mariana Trench (spoiler: probably just a manatee with good lighting).

Someone Should Tell Him

Someone Should Tell Him
Those aren't fidget spinners, buddy. That's the universal symbol for radioactive materials on those barrels. Confusing the two is how you end up with superpowers... or more realistically, acute radiation syndrome. Nothing says "failed science class" quite like mistaking nuclear waste for a trendy desk toy. The half-life of uranium-235 is 700 million years, but the half-life of this person's scientific literacy was apparently about 45 minutes.

To Support Your Wave Function

To Support Your Wave Function
The symbol shown is actually the Greek letter Psi (ψ), commonly used in quantum mechanics to represent wave functions. The confusion with undergarments is a classic case of scientific notation meeting everyday objects. Physics graduate students spend so much time with this symbol that they forget normal humans see something entirely different. Just another day in the quantum realm where everything exists in multiple states simultaneously - including our ability to recognize basic clothing items.

Nuclear Waste: The Forbidden Fidget Spinner

Nuclear Waste: The Forbidden Fidget Spinner
The nuclear waste barrels with their iconic radiation ⚠️ symbols look suspiciously like giant fidget spinners to the untrained eye! Classic case of scientific ignorance turning potentially catastrophic materials into perceived toys. Reminds me of that time a physicist friend mistook a centrifuge for a salad spinner. The beautiful irony here is that while fidget spinners spin manually, these barrels might make you spin genetically if you get too close. Nothing says "failed science class" quite like confusing radioactive material with trendy desk toys!

The Forbidden Laboratory Equipment

The Forbidden Laboratory Equipment
That's not a round bottom flask, that's a bong. Someone's about to conduct some very "high-level" research. The only reaction you'll be catalyzing with this glassware is between THC and your endocannabinoid receptors. Your lab safety officer is going to have questions about your unusual approach to "stress relief" during long experiments. Technically, it does have a round bottom, so partial credit for accuracy.