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submitted 5 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] Emotional_Series7814@kbin.melroy.org 76 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Not sure whether you meant to express disbelief or just to be silly, but you did make me wonder if this meme was legit or not. It is!

[-] Ophioparma@feddit.de 116 points 5 months ago

Yes, but also:

And the journals quickly recognized her expertise.

So no crying historians in that story. She researched, proposed an article and the community said: "Good idea!" The whole "Oh, all those fine scientists laughed about the average joe/jane!" is just a common tale in those stories.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 74 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It's a common conservative thing to own the libs.

Also wasn't so fast:

Through trial and error she found that she could achieve the hairstyle by sewing the braids and bits together, using a needle. She dug deeper into art and fashion history books, looking for references to stitching.

In 2005, she had a breakthrough. Studying translations of Roman literature, Ms. Stephens says, she realized the Latin term “acus” was probably being misunderstood in the context of hairdressing. Acus has several meanings including a “single-prong hairpin” or “needle and thread,” she says. Translators generally went with “hairpin.”

[-] Infynis@midwest.social 22 points 5 months ago

Wow, that's some serious anthropology, that's awesome!

[-] Emotional_Series7814@kbin.melroy.org 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Thanks to you and @Ophioparma@feddit.de both for pointing those things out. I was only checking the part about the hairstyle being made through sewing, and didn't think to check for dramatization, so I may have retold or personally internalized the story that goes with the sewing fact exactly as told in the meme. Or onlookers might have.

[-] Kiosade@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago

If “acus” means that, then i wonder, how does “abacus” mean a thing you count with? Etymology is fascinating :)

[-] bricklove@midwest.social 7 points 5 months ago

It looks like abacus is of uncertain origin and likely doesn't share the same root as acus. Finding unexpected histories of words is the fun part of etymology though. Like how donkey ass and butt ass have completely different origins