This article was originally published on AstrologyDr
For some people, science class was the highlight of their high school schedule, while for others, it was the hardest one to sit through. Science textbooks aren't usually designed with entertainment in mind, but judging by these curious drawings, the people who created them decided students needed a bit of humor in their lives. Prepare to laugh out loud as you scroll through these scientific drawings that definitely would not make it into textbooks today.
1. The ABC Rule
Biology class is where students learn about the human body, with a specific focus on anatomy. It's also the time teachers start to share some basic first aid knowledge.
Whoever developed the "ABC" rule of first aid decided that students would only be able to remember very obvious rules. If a bone is protruding from your body, it is definitely time to hit the emergency room. Thank you for this one, Captain Obvious!
2. The Cat's Scream
You may have heard of the cat's meow, but have you heard of the cat's scream? All creatures, great and small, communicate with their surroundings in different ways.
Cats typically meow, hiss, or make chittering noises. If a cat is legitimately screaming, then something has definitely gone wrong. We're not sure anyone can answer the question from this textbook.
3. A New Form Of Child
One of the age-old questions is what came first, the chicken or the egg? Judging by this explanation of what an egg is, they came together.
An egg could be equated with eating a child, but the proper scientific term here would be a chick. Most store-bought eggs are unfertilized, so this is a child-free zone.
4. The Muscle Man
At this point, most people know that muscles are what make a body move. This diagram further illustrates what muscles look like underneath skin.
However, this diagram is a tad misleading as it looks like this runner is running away from a pretty frightening-looking muscle man. That would make us run out of terror, just like this guy.
5. Be Casual
First off, why a skeleton is approaching a child is not explained at all by this diagram. Secondly, why does the skeleton need to approach casually?
As a walking skeleton, there is literally no way that this skeleton could be casual, even if it wanted to.
6. Understanding Errors
There are two types of errors in the medical world. The first is a 'Type I' error or a false positive. The second is a 'Type II' error or a false negative.
While this diagram does explain the two types of errors, it probably would have made more sense to have a woman experiencing the false positive. The last time we checked, a man could not get pregnant.
7. The Alpha Male
When describing pack mentality amongst animals like wolves, there is always the 'alpha' which is typically a male. In an effort to spice things up, this textbook writer decided to discuss the Catholic alpha male.
The Pope would be considered the alpha of his flock, but the reasoning behind why he has no genetic progeny of his own is pretty straightforward.
8. Small Differences
Alligators and crocodiles do look pretty similar. They both look like the modern-day version of a dinosaur. The two are often confused, which is why once more a diagram has come to the rescue.
To understand the difference between the two, just look at the jaw shape and how they eat babies? That's just plain weird when it comes to a description for anything.
9. Paddling Away
Ants are some of the toughest creatures on the planet. They are able to lift items that weigh substantially more than them and travel long distances.
In case you didn't know, ants can also make their own boats and paddle off on adventures after committing a crime. Good to know.
10. Putting It Into Perspective
Deer are pretty common in many parts of North America. They often roam wild in forests, and even in some urban centers. According to this photo, they are as tall as a bicycle.
Determining how much a deer weighs is a little bit harder. Luckily, this textbook makes it easy to understand. A deer weighs as much as 800 hamburgers, which does sound like a lot.
11. A Literary Icon
Penguins come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are tiny, like the ones usually spotted in aquariums, and others are child-sized like the emperor penguin.
In yet another diagram displaying height, the literary icon Charlotte Bronte who wrote 'Jane Eyre' is pictured next to an emperor penguin. This is definitely the comparison we didn't know we needed.
12. Always Say Please
Manners are the gateway to society, and even inanimate objects deserve a 'please' and a 'thank you.' Mini golf is a tough game, but having some manners can help you win.
This golfer tried ordering her gold ball into the hole, and it decided not to listen. She probably should have added a 'please' or tapped it with her club.
13. Sensory Contact
It's important to get up close and personal when it comes to fish, at least that is what this diagram is saying. It also teaches us that the nose is one of the primary body parts for sensory contact.
In an effort to explain different types of sensory contact, each diagram shows different levels of contact with a sample, which is a fish in this instance. We would not suggest sniffing a fish up into your nose though. That would make for a pretty fishy situation.
14. Turtle Man
Marvel Universe's Ant-Man was an instant hit, but have you ever come across Turtle Man? This scientific illustration seems to be providing an in-depth look into what the combined skeletal system of a human and a turtle would look like.
This is a pretty terrifying drawing, and we really wish that an English translation had been provided. The captions must provide some much-needed context.
15. The Metric System
Depending on the country you are in, either the metric system or the imperial system will be used to measure items. In this rather informative illustration, the metric system is explained.
Apparently, one liter of liquid is the equivalent of two moles. This is important to remember the next time you come across these ground-dwelling animals.
16. Shoulder Surfing
Every year there are some new terms for things like looking over someone's shoulder. According to this textbook, shoulder surfing is the newest term for someone trying to steal your personal information.
Always be careful when using an ATM or on a personal laptop, as a woman or man could be hiding in the bushes trying to steal your PIN or login information. This is actually pretty good advice.
17. All Stretched Out
Our bodies are full of organs, and our intestines are all carefully wrapped up on top of each other within our stomaches. Trying to imagine what they would look like if they were all stretched out might be tough.
Lucky for us, that is where this handy intestine and horse diagram comes in. If intestines were straight, they would be the equivalent of about five horses long.
18. Singing Voices
A lot of fascinating things can be learned about sound. For example, it causes vibrations and travels in waves. To understand how different levels of noise travel as waves, just take a look at these birds.
A screaming bird releases large tight waves, and a calmer-looking bird simply releases a smoother-looking wave. Much like people who are singing in the shower versus singing in an opera.
19. Being Excluded
Bullying and teasing are commonplace in most schools. Some students don't understand why teasing someone is unkind, and how it can also lead to social exclusion.
These gummy bears might appear to be pretty innocent, but Barrington the gummy bear is pretty lonely. All he wants is a friend.
20. Verbal Expression
It can be hard to demonstrate what an expressive language problem looks like, but this illustration really captures it. Instead of yelling "Danger!" this boy says, "a."
A shark swimming towards you definitely deserves more than a simple "a," but for people who have trouble verbalizing what they see, this "a" could apparently be an expression of danger.
21. Love Is Love
People fall in love with other people and even inanimate objects, depending on what they are attracted to. This illustration focuses on the fact that everyone should be able to love who or what they want to.
This little snail has fallen in love with a particularly beautiful tape dispenser. The shape of the dispenser is very similar to that of a snail, which must the reason for its allure.
22. Quarters And Pizza
Most of the scientific illustrations seen here have some semblance of science in them, but this one is just plain confusing. Why is this woman paying for a quarter-sized pizza with a pizza-sized quarter?
Not only would that pizza cost more than a quarter, but the materials needed to make that quarter would cost more than the pizza itself.
23. Comprehension
There are a variety of test questions that are woven into every science exam. Comprehension questions are designed to determine if a student understands the subjects they have learned.
The teacher in this illustration is demonstrating that this student has not comprehended the question. If you cut yourself, head over to a medical clinic or hospital. Don't just sit there and bleed.
24. Fast Food Man
Over the decades, a variety of healthy eating plans have been released, and they have all had their own promotional materials associated with them. The most popular one in recent years has been the food pyramid.
People should aim to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables, and cut out processed foods like hot dogs and other fast foods. Unhealthy food choices can lead to poor health.
25. Golf Done Right
Golf may look like an easy sport, but it takes a lot of practice and a touch of finesse. One of the most important things when it comes to golf is holding the golf club correctly and making sure it's not upside down.
This golfer is ready to get a hole in one, but he is doing one very important thing wrong. He is obviously holding his golf club upside down, which is going to make hitting that golf ball pretty tough.
26. Bird Versus Human
A lot of scientific drawings show how humans and animals look in similar positions. In theory, this makes sense as it shows how they can move in a similar manner.
Humans are bipedal animals, but they certainly don't walk around with arms like a T-rex. This position would not be very comfortable for more than a few minutes.
27. Meet The Spherical Cow
Learning how to measure the circumference, diameter, and radius is part of being in school. Most schools use normal things like balls or planets to teach this.
Whoever decided to craft the problems in this textbook thought the rare spherical cow would make a good addition.
28. Stay Away From The Ether
Curious George always lets his mischievous nature get him into trouble, but the case of the ether is not one that most children have seen.
Ether can make you feel like you are floating, and eventually put you into a deep sleep. It's not something anyone should be sniffing, but this illustration makes it look like Curious George is rather enjoying his ether adventure.
29. Map Head
World maps tend to be a bit skewed when it comes to displaying the scale of the continents. Africa is often shown as being smaller than it really is, with North America always smack dab in the center.
The scale of this map is definitely off, and the stretched-out head of this man is pretty odd. If we had to guess, we would say that the circumference of his head is similar to that of a globe.
30. The Vastness Of The Galaxy
The universe appears to be infinite as researchers are continuously discovering new planets and galaxies far far away. To understand just how vast our own galaxy is, take a look at the Earth.
Here it is, just floating aimlessly around in space. All of this white space in the illustration must be our galaxy, but a few other planets for context might have been a nice addition.
31. Feel The Wind
The wind is a powerful force of nature that has the ability to blow the roofs off of houses and create vortexes called twisters. This little chicken got to experience the force of the wind first hand.
The wall managed to stop the chicken from blowing away, making us wonder what the equation for this illustration might be. Does 'Bok!" equal x?
32. The Pigeon-Hand Hybrid
Pigeons are kind of like rats, except they have the ability to fly away. They eat almost anything, and one of the reasons they can do this is because of their beaks.
The hand in place of the pigeon's head here demonstrates that a beak has the same gripping abilities. It's a neat fact, but the illustration makes it look like Dr. Frankenstein created this pigeon-hand hybrid.
33. The Scale Of Things
One of the reasons that maps are not drawn to scale, is because something called the Mercator-Projection is used when designing them. This projection is designed to stretch maps over a globe.
This stretching of a map and the continents makes some look bigger, and others look much smaller than they actually are. It has continued to be used because it makes navigation easier. North is always up, and South is always down.
34. Growing Pains
For most children, as soon as they hit puberty, they experience a major growth spurt. Some kids can grow a whopping foot in a year, but can they grow to the size of an adult male in this time?
For boys and girls, they will grow into adulthood, but they will not grow into giant babies that dwarf adults. Whoever developed this drawing must have been confused about what puberty actually means.
35. The Family Tree
One of the activities that almost all kids are given in school is the task of developing a family tree with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins, all included.
This family tree is very complete, but it appears that one unit is a bit out of the ordinary. The last time we checked, it wasn't legal to marry your biological brother or sister - oops.
36. Surfs Up
There have been a variety of theories over the centuries about how the earth was formed, and how different peoples, animals, and plants ended up on the seven continents.
The main theory is that the earth originally had one big continent that was eventually broken up into the seven we know now. There were no surfing monkeys as far as we know, but that's what theories are for.
37. How To Carry A Donut
Donuts are one of the most delicious baked goods on the planet. Each one is baked or fried and covered in sugar or scrumptious icing. Obviously, knowing how to carry two donuts is a skill everyone needs.
Oddly enough, this illustration shows how birds can carry two donuts, not people. At least they know how to do that should they ever come across a pair of donuts in a park.
38. Shearing Sheep
Sheep are responsible for all of the wool that is produced on the planet. This wool is then woven or knitted into beautiful sweaters, blankets, and socks to keep your feet nice and toasty.
Wool is produced from sheep when they undergo the shearing process. This process involves shaving off all of the wool. A sheared sheep does not look like a sheep in italics, but rather one that simply doesn't have a wool coat.
39. Mind-Boggling Effects
Video games are great for entertainment and learning. Kids and adults alike can learn about history, fine-tune their motor skills, and basically just enjoy life.
This textbook seems to want kids to think that PlayStation might cause some mind-boggling effects, but what that has to do with skeletons, we really don't know.
40. Adult What?
Word choice is very important, especially when it comes to nouns. If you don't have the person, place, or thing in a sentence, it can be very difficult to understand what is being explained,
Take this illustration of a whale for example. It says this is a "Drawing of an adult in 1884." The problem here is that we don't know what kind of adult is being described.
41. How To Lift A Pig
Animal husbandry used to be one of those subjects that everyone learned back in the 1800s and early 1900s. Many people lived in agrarian communities, which meant they would spend the rest of their lives likely farming.
Knowing how to lift a pig properly would be one of those important life lessons that all students needed to know. Judging by this illustration, this man may need some help lifting this rather large piggy.
42. Monster Dog
A photo is worth a thousand words, but in this instance, the caption is worth a thousand question marks. This picture of a dog in sunglasses really needs some context, especially because of the caption below.
Dogs in sunglasses are obviously not monsters, but in this textbook, what is a monster then? It must be a cat playing the piano because there is nothing scary about this cool-looking canine.
43. Just Say No
People's body language can tell you a lot about a situation. It lets you know if someone feels comfortable, anxious, and anywhere in between. Non-verbal communication is also a type of body language.
For anyone who was wondering, shaking your head means no. But this should be taken with a grain of salt, as it is very much dependent on culture.
44. Where Does The No Lead?
Flow charts are an excellent way to explain information, especially when it comes to learning how to think critically. This zoomed-in version of a flow chart involving soil and sand doesn't leave much to work with,
Clearly, the soil is full of sand which is going to lead to a sandy situation.
45. The Einstein Workout
Albert Einstein is one of the greatest scientists of all time, but his workout routine pictured in this textbook is not one most people are familiar with.
The illustration is likely describing one of the laws of physics, but it looks more like an advertisement for the shake weight. Consult a physician before attempting this routine at home folks.