#20: He’s a Fun Guy

We all know and love SpongeBob Squarepants. However, some scientists loved this animated character enough to name a newly discovered fungus after him. The fungus was discovered in 2011 and looks exactly like a mini sponge. Obviously, SpongeBob Squarepants was the most appropriate name they could think of.

When the scientists debuted the name, they got some flack from a stuffy, over-formal research journal. When the journal said the name was “too frivolous,” the scientists basically retorted by saying they could name it whatever they wanted. Technically speaking, the fungi’s official scientific name is “Spongiforma squarepantsii.” Take that, mycological research journal.