• rainrain@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    1·
    1 day ago

    There’s this book. Sequel to Wrinkle in Time i think. Where this kid brings up the subject of mitochondria in class. Gets pummeled for it.

  • frigidaphelion@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    Lmao I was watching an episode of ST: Voyager the other day and a little girl learning about mitochondria said they were the “warp core of the cell”. That phrase is ridiculously pervasive

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      0·
      22 hours ago

      The phrase “Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” was coined in a 1957 article by biologist Philip Siekevitz. It apparently rattled around in the English lexicon until 2013, when a tumblr user by the handle apatheticghost posted the following:

      what I learned in school

      1. I am a fucking piece of shit

      2. everybody else is also a piece of shit

      3. mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

      This blew up in popularity and variations emerged that replaced the first two items with various social commentary, but always kept the mitochondria line. It stood for a kind of universal frustration students have with school, that a lot of the curriculum feels like memorizing game show trivia answers rather than useful or practical skills applicable to adult life. Loads of us have no idea how the tax system works but we can all parrot biology factoids.

      The phrase became one of those catchphrase in-jokes. A bit like how you can’t say 69 without saying “nice” anymore.

      My on personal Mandela Effect: I’d swear I’m from the parallel universe where the phrase comes from the Bill Nye The Science Guy theme song, but apparently I’m thinking of “Inertia is a property of matter.”

  • Yoga@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    Can we take a step back and just appreciate how good Bluey is?

    1. Challenging but accessible

    2. Inclusive

    3. Emotional depth

    4. Grounded

    5. Not disgusting annoying

    I really appreciate when kids shows are made with parents/guardians in mind (ie will watching the same episode 50 times make you want to off yourself or not)

      • Geobloke@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        I haven’t actually been able to watch the special episode properly because my wife and daughters are too busy crying. I do love how stripe is kicked out of the bushes by Wendy

  • Signtist@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    It was ruined for me when I was getting my masters in genetics and learned that “mitochondria” is plural, and the singular is “mitochondrion.” So, it’s either “the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell” or “the mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell,” and neither feel right.