Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2025 May 23

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May 23

DMEM (explain the joke?)

https: //mander.xyz/pictrs/image/12b51d24-e090-4a6b-9cf7-b6ec674d99c3.jpeg What is this stuff? Thanks. 2601:644:8581:75B0:A690:D665:179B:79F0 (talk) 12:00, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Eagle's minimal essential medium. Not sure about the joke though. I assume it's a single node in some gigantic meme-based causal network i.e. you had to be there. Sean.hoyland (talk) 15:24, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The image is a cut-out of a stock photo. The fridge itself is a household fridge, not a typical lab fridge, even though the image is used by a provider of refrigerators that comply with laboratory standards. The posting (of May 19) is on Facebook here. I don't get the joke, but many of the jokes on the user's page are super nerdy, supposed to appeal to people working in biochemistry labs.  ​‑‑Lambiam 16:00, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks all, I suspect none of us are really missing much. 2601:644:8581:75B0:A690:D665:179B:79F0 (talk) 17:39, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It probably is a joke about men consuming protein powder to build muscles, but here using an enhanced amino acid growth medium instead. A man is not merely reduced to a body full of muscle, but now to a collection cells. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 02:15, 25 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

size vs age of universe, name of discrepancy

The universe is supposed to be 13.8 billion years old, while the observable part has estimated radius 90 billion light years. The discrepancy is explained by the expansion of space, particularly during the inflationary period. I'm not asking about the explanation right now. I'm just wondering whether the apparent contradiction has a name, like "so-and-so's paradox". I couldn't find anything about it by clicking in some of the relevant articles. Thanks. 2601:644:8581:75B0:A690:D665:179B:79F0 (talk) 17:38, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You can read comoving and proper distances. Ruslik_Zero 20:35, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]