A contest for the 'worst science stock photo' has taken the internet by storm
“Talk to Us, Dr. Chicken," is a must-see.

They've blinded us with science.
Stock photos of any job are usually delightful cringey. Sure, sometimes they sort of get the essence of a job, but a lot of the time the interpretation is downright cartoonish. One glance and it becomes abundantly clear that for some careers, we have no freakin’ clue what it is that people do.
Dr. Kit Chapman, an award-winning science journalist and academic at Falmouth University in the U.K., recently held an impromptu contest on Twitter where viewers could vote on which photos were the best of the worst when it came to jobs in scientific fields.
According to Chapman’s entries, a day in the life of a scientist includes poking syringes into chickens, wearing a lab coat (unless you’re a “sexy” scientist, then you wear lingerie) and holding vials of colored liquid. Lots and lots of vials.
Of course, where each image is 100% inaccurate, they are 100% giggle inducing. Take a look below at some of the contenders.
Chapman’s unofficial photo competition received nearly 500,000 votes cast throughout four rounds. The grand prize winner was a photo of a female scientist holding a soldering iron (very much not in the right way) as she is “working” on some kind of electrical board.
It’s titled, “Hold My Soldering Iron.”
Time to vote for the worst science stock photos ever!
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
1. Hold My Soldering Iron. pic.twitter.com/fc76jz8Bs4
“I mean there’s the obvious thing that she'll burn her hand, but nobody ever talks about how she's ‘soldering’ the wrong side of the board," one person quipped.
Of course, “Talk to Us, Dr. Chicken” was also popular.
2. Talk To Us, Dr Chicken. pic.twitter.com/IMh0LsmGcg
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
Clearly using the scientific method to figure out why exactly Dr. Chicken crossed the road.
But not as popular as “Syringe Chicken,” where, for some reason, a scientist covered in a mask and safety goggles inspects a raw, syringe-filled chicken with his teeny tiny magnifying glass. For science!
2. I, too, store half-used syringes inside an uncooked chicken. pic.twitter.com/noEBQKqbO3
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
This one was the winner of the second-to-last batch.
Ever wonder where space is? Don’t worry, leave it to the professionals to point the way.
3. TO SPACE!!!! pic.twitter.com/ae1XzzQSKE
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
“To space!” Chapman captioned.
Speaking of professionals, everyone dresses for research this way, right?
3. Science: It’s a Girl Thing. pic.twitter.com/ogIOrKHWe1
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
Chapman titled this “Science: It's a Girl Thing."
People were quick to chime in with their own contributions, including:
“Woman Brain Surgeon”
My personal favorite https://t.co/MPbQCO5qSF
— MAJ Moe MD 🏝 (@donaldmoe) October 13, 2022
Otherwise known as a jello mechanic.
And some kind of … corn scientist? From the future?
I think you're missing the best of them all pic.twitter.com/MBgEO4fByk
— autoproclamada generala da URSAL (@generaladaursal) October 12, 2022
Why does this seem like it belongs in an Annie Lennox music video?
As well as a group of scientists that belong in a Marvel movie for their ability to manipulate atoms.
Do not forget manipulating atoms by handhttps://t.co/FTRzyUJp7m
— Katie 🎃Boo👻-mah (@nuclearkatie) October 12, 2022
While these are certainly not an accurate depiction of the vast and wondrous world of scientific research, it did cause many a scientist to share a giggle. So no harm, no foul. Not even to chickens.
This article originally appeared on 10.27.22
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."