You might have heard last week about federal agencies being ordered to cease all external communications. You may also have heard that tweets from Badlands National Park that mentioned climate change were deleted. Almost immediately alternate Twitter accounts sprang up. It’s a serious issue being fought with serious science facts in an irreverent way. Because the alternate accounts have gotten lots of media attention their followers quickly swelled. I have been enjoying looking in on them and get a little giggle over their very existence.

While there are alt accounts for most, if not all the government agencies, my favorites to follow are @altEPA, @Rogue NASA, and @BadHombreLands NPS. No one knows for certain if those tweeting on the accounts are actual government employees. But when it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they exist, that they are tweeting real science, and that they are urging people to resist.

I love science and part of me wishes I could have a second life as a scientist. But since we only get to live once, I can be a bookish science nerd which is the next best thing in my opinion.

At the moment I think we all need a bit of levity, a small space to take a breath and crack a smile. So let’s have some science jokes people!

Here’s one I heard recently:

TIME is so everything doesn’t happen all at once
SPACE is so it doesn’t all happen to you.

How about a few more?

I was going to tell a joke about sodium, but Na.

Heisenberg gets pulled over. Do you know how fast you were going? asks the police officer. No, says Heisenberg, but I know where I am.

Okay, one more:

Don’t trust atoms, they make up everything.

Do you have a favorite science joke? Share it in the comments!