According to reliable stereotypes, scientists are supposed to be smart. It is surprising, then, that UCSB’s associate professor of Biology Gretchen Hofman refers to the creepy fetus-like snail pictured above as “the Potato Chip of the Ocean”. I’m unsure what sort of chips Hofman favors, but if I saw something that looked like that at the bottom of my Doritos bag, I’d probably scream or throw it away or do some glorious combination of the two.

Granted, it is a good move by Hofman to play on our natural sympathies toward potato chips, but the moniker of “potato chip of the ocean” makes one think less of endangered Antarctic pteropods and more of a deliciously salty snack. And yes, she’s not REALLY implying that the snails look like potato chips, but that they are similar to the popular snack in that they are an important part of the food chain.

In conclusion, potato chips are an important part of the food chain, and you should eat as many as possible. Don’t question it, it’s science!