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Funny Science T-Shirts a Nerd Will Love
Wearing your heart on your sleeve can be risky, but a little science on your back can be fun. That's why the editors and writers of LiveScience and it's sister science and technology websites brainstormed a list of our favorite funny science T-shirts, some cool, some just downright hilarious.
May the 'Force' Be With You
For those "Star Wars" fans who want to add a little twist to the movie line that has achieved almost its own following, here's the shirt for you. A like of science also helps, as the F = ma (force = mass x acceleration) equation is one of the most important in physics, representing Newton's second law of thermodynamics, showing that the more mass an object has the more force is needed to accelerate it. BUY Men's version >>> and BUY Women's version >>>
Choose Science, Everything Else Is Dumb
Enough said?
The blog The Oatmeal popularized this notion of a rivalry Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Whether or not the rivalry existed, they were heavyweights of electrical innovation, with Tesla suggesting alternating current (AC) as a superior way to bring electricity to the masses, and Edison fighting for his own creation, direct current (DC). So perhaps you wear the Tee and feel the currents. (Another version of the shirt shows the two in an electrifying battle. BUY Tesla > Edison Tee >>>)
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Schrödinger's Cat vs. Pavlov's Dog
More science fights, oh yeah! Schrödinger's cat (which is the name of a thought experiment revealing an uncomfortable truth about quantum physics) may have the ability to be "alive and dead" at once, but Pavlov's dog can salivate at the ring of a bell. Which furry beastie will win? [Read more about the science of Schrödinger's cat]
Centrifuges: they're what separate the men from the boys
A possible conversation starter for guys and gals (or Bond villains) who spend time in a lab? In addition to separating the men from the boys, centrifuges spin like crazy to separate out elements by their densities and allowing scientists to ditch the unnecessary glop.
Particle physics gives me a hadron
So this one would be under the "downright hilarious" category. But in all seriousness, hadrons are atomic particles made up of quarks; these particles zip around at near light-speed inside CERN's Large Hadron Collider to produce all sorts of exotic particles. BUY Physics Tee >>>
These are "intelligently designed sarcastic t-shirts," according to the company's website. One design shows a birthday cake with the number 6,000 on it and Earth hanging in the background; this one sarcastically suggests the planet is 6,000 years old, as some creationists assert, rather than the scientifically proven 4.5 billion or so years old.
Quit following me, and Evolve already!
More fun with Darwin's theory of evolution, this one with a quirky cast of humanity's ancestors with all-too-primitive weapons of choice in hand. BUY 'Evolve' Tee >>>
'Available to Populate Mars'
If Earth seems so beneath you, perhaps a trip to the Red Planet may be in order. Or at leas you can dream. In reality, thousands of aspiring Martians have already volunteered for one-way Mars colony missions starting in 2023. BUY 'Populate Mars' Tee >>>
Stand back! I'm going to try science
This one would fall into the "just plain cute" category. And there's a toddler version, for that child who likes to get into everything. BUY Toddler Tee on Amazon >>>
I lost an electron! Are you positive?
A T-shirt for those prone to losing things or with a knack for chemistry. When an atom loses an electron, of course, it is positive, at least positively charged since the resulting atom would have more protons (positively charged) than electrons (negatively charged). BUY electron Tee >>>
Geology rocks
Dig rocks? Can't get enough of minerals? You don't need a degree in the study of the history of Earth as recorded in rocks to show off your curiosity. BUY Geology Tee >>>
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Jeanna Bryner is managing editor of Scientific American. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.