Except it’s nothing to do with that and comes from the Arctic being marked by Ursa Minor & Major in the Northern sky, and Antarctica being the opposite of that.
Bears or no bears?
Submitted 2 weeks ago by ickplant@lemmy.world to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/bda3ca69-7690-4830-88cf-3a971ee89311.jpeg
Comments
Diddlydee@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
autriyo@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
So there’s no sky bears in Antarctica then?
Siegfried@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
We have enough with the interdimensional bears. You cant take a shit in piece in here.
vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Sure but it’s also convenient that there are also no bears in Antarctica or as it shouldve been named Terra Australus but the Australian got that, really should’ve flipped the names when we had the chance.
KurtVonnegut@mander.xyz 1 week ago
I should have know I could have just gone to the comments, rather than to Wikipedia… But yes en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic#Definition_and_etymo…
klay1@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Soon we can call them both Antarctica
toynbee@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Aww, I was annoyed but overall cheerful, then I read this and now I’m just sad.
I guess you have at least simplified my emotional spectrum, so … Thanks?
klay1@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
sorry! And… you’re welcome i guess?
Paradachshund@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Chat, is this true?
blarghly@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The arctic isn’t named after polar bears, but after the greek bear constellations which hold the north star. And the Antarctica is named after being the opposite of where the bear constellations are. It’s just a coincidence that the correct one has bears and the correct one doesn’t.
egerlach@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
It’s still mind blowing, even if it is a coincidence.
ElBarto@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
It’s a cool coincidence, though.
I mean, come on. The region called after the constellation with the north star, which aids with finding where the north pole is, has polar bears. Nice!
carotte@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
kinda, not really
arctic, from ancient greek ἀρκτικός did mean “of the bear” originally, probably as a reference to the constellation (cause i don’t think the ancient greeks ever went to the arctic to confirm if there were bears or not)
antarctica doesn’t mean “no bears”, it means “the opposite of the arctic”
scytale@piefed.zip 2 weeks ago
What would the equivalent be for “penguins” and “no penguins”?
Haaveilija@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Linux / Windows
criticon@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Pinkouinos / antipinkouinos ?
Lumidaub@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Pink wieners / anti pink wieners?
hector@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
There used to be a penguin like animal in the north, the Auk. Hunted to extinction.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
GREAT auk is called puinguinis, while penguins have various latin names.
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
Well, it is about the only actual predator to the human species so we make a big deal out of it.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
How come no places are called No Wolves or No Lions or No Tigers?
shneancy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
we made doggos out of wolves :)
but lions and tigers… guess they were harder to spot among the foliage
jaybone@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Oh my
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
They don’t really prey on humans & we coexisted without much issues for humans (very much a lot of issues for them).
Eating a baby every so many years doesn’t really count, in nature it’s usually disregarded even if a regular thing bcs of the size difference (and the mortality rate to adulthood). A bit along the lines that babies of all species are food & that doesn’t give you much representative info.
With polar bears, even with villages in the migrating area (their ecosystem is shrinking rapidly), you just can’t be outside, they will munch you.
Hikers can hike through woods with wolves, you can park your car next to lions, … tigers would be borderline (and endangered), but it seems they fear us, they fear injury & our unpredictability. Polar bears don’t back off.
affenlehrer@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
We could accidentally release some polar bears in Antarctica, guess they could survive there.
ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
The polar bears would be fine. The penguins would be in for quite a comeuppance
hector@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Idk are there seals there? Because that’s the bear’s thing, ambushing seals coming up through their ice holes in the ince flows.
Nikelui@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Because the last time someone introduced an invasive species to a completely different environment worked extremely well.
foo@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
Regular visitors to Sharks would like a word.
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
Not intentional pray, not eating the whole thing, not stalking.
You might as well say cows then too, they are least kill more ppl.
Aljernon@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
That the names translated accurately describes the presence or absence of bears is a coincidence.
MIDItheKID@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Interesting. There’s also no penguins in the arctic. But there are penguins in Antarctica. I wonder if the was penguins in the north originally, but the bears ate them all. And the only reason the continue to exist in Antarctica is because there aren’t bears to eat them.
lengau@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
Genus Pinguinus was wiped out by humans, not bears.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
It helps you orient yourself if you find yourself in one of these places.
humanspiral@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
what would be latin based names for penguins an no penguins.
trolololol@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Oh nice you talk to yourself when in public? Me toooo 😃😎
counterfactual@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
America wants them renamed the 52nd and 53rd states. 🙄
TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Petition to make the names less confusing by naming the northern one to “Bear” and the southern one to “Twink”.
Test_Tickles@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Are we still talking about poles?
~The answer is yes!~
eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
I want you to know I understand the genius of this
ElBarto@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
“Top” and “Bottom”.