Protons Memes

This meme brilliantly fuses chemistry with the IQ bell curve template! It shows the Dunning-Kruger effect of acid-base knowledge where people at both extremes of the curve think free protons (H+) or aqueous protons (H+(aq)) exist in solution, while the educated middle knows it's actually hydronium ions (H₃O+). Chemistry nerds know that a "naked" proton is too reactive to exist freely in water - it immediately bonds with water molecules to form hydronium. The 34% at the peak represents chemistry students who've just learned this fact and are insufferably smug about it. Meanwhile, both beginners and advanced researchers use simplified notations as convenient shorthand. It's the perfect representation of how sometimes the most pedantic people aren't the smartest ones in the room - they're just the ones who've learned just enough to be dangerous!