At their best, stock photos can add to a story or help explain an abstract concept. At their worst, they can look like the bad photos used to sell picture frames in the 1980s. Recently, Dr. Kit Chapman, a lecturer at the University of Falmouth, noted that a lot of stock science imagery fell in the latter category. In fact, it seems like many stock photographers have a hard time conceptualizing what scientists actually do.
So, in the spirit of friendly competition, Dr. Chapman started the unofficial world's worst science stock photo contest. Competitors included an image of “scientists” in labcoats staring at a chicken, a lingerie-clad woman pouring the contents of a test tube into a beaker, and a PPE-covered man sticking syringes into a raw whole chicken. If these descriptions sound odd, the visuals are even odder.
After several spirited rounds of voting, the field was narrowed to the four worst science stock photos. The grand prize winner—meaning the absolute worst of the bunch—was a photograph of a woman in a lab holding a soldering iron to some electrical components. Nearly 500,000 votes were cast through the initial four rounds of the contest, with many people adding their own terrible stock photo finds to the thread.
So if you are in need of a giggle, and want to know what scientists definitely don't do in real life, the thread is well worth a scroll.
Dr. Kit Chapman started the world's worst science stock photo contest.
Time to vote for the worst science stock photos ever!
1. Hold My Soldering Iron. pic.twitter.com/fc76jz8Bs4
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
Nearly 500,000 votes were cast in four knockout-style rounds.
2. I, too, store half-used syringes inside an uncooked chicken. pic.twitter.com/noEBQKqbO3
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
3. TO SPACE!!!! pic.twitter.com/ae1XzzQSKE
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
Some particularly notable images included scientists staring at a chicken and a lingerie-clad woman pouring the contents of a test tube into a beaker.
3. Science: It’s a Girl Thing. pic.twitter.com/ogIOrKHWe1
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022
In the meantime, people in the Twitter thread added their own images to the mix.
I think you're missing the best of them all pic.twitter.com/MBgEO4fByk
— autoproclamada generala da URSAL (@generaladaursal) October 12, 2022
Do not forget manipulating atoms by handhttps://t.co/FTRzyUJp7m
— Katie 🎃Boo👻-mah (@nuclearkatie) October 12, 2022
This thread is excellent 😂
Apparently there's a whole series of scientists making fish faces if you look up “fish scientist”. Though I can't be sure that's what the last guy is doing 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kSMKS2FI9S— Dr. Emily Kane (@TheKaneLab) October 13, 2022
After a final round of votes, the photo of a woman holding a soldering iron took home first place.
AND OUR WINNERS… This is it, the final, golden chance at glory! Bad stock photo glory!
After 423,986 (!) votes, your final four are:
SUPER SOLDER, SYRINGE CHICKEN, PPE PAIR, and THUMBS UP MAN!Who is the ultimate victor? pic.twitter.com/GkP0rDQ7h0
— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 13, 2022
h/t: [IFLScience!]
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