• Question: What has been the most funny (and hopefully non-toxic) moment you have had in a lab?

    Asked by fayesedg to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hi fayesedg,
      I am a big kid a heart and love to play practical jokes on my lab mates. We sometimes get dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide…very very cold) if you put this into a little tube after a few minutes it explodes with a big bang. I love to do this a hide it near my lab mates (we have a particularly jumpy person in the lab and it is great to do it her!) It is great when it makes them jump.
      Pam

    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi Fayesedg,

      What a great question. Unlike the other scientists in this zone, I don’t work is what we call a ‘wet lab’ (like one you’d have chemicals in etc) I work in a ‘dry lab’ which is really just a room full of computers and looks just like a normal office but some of the science that gets done in this room is pretty crazy; like right now one person is looking at why some racehorses get hurt while racing, another is looking at why donkeys keep getting sick from worms and another is trying to figure out what would happen if there was a big bird flu outbreak!

      Anyway, one very funny (and kinda sore) thing that happened to be recently. Instead of sitting at a chair at my desk, I sit on a big balance ball, like the ones that are used in the gym. I love sitting on it as it makes me sit up really tall and stops me getting a sore back. Well, about 2weeks ago I sitting on my ball, happily typing away and all of a sudden, boom, splat, “owwwwwww”, I was flat on my back on the floor of my office lying on my very very burst balance wall. It was hilarious because it happened so suddenly. The screams of laughter from our office could be heard through the entire building!

      Hope this makes you laugh too :D,

      Cat

    • Photo: Darren Braddick

      Darren Braddick answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hi fayesdg,

      I love the answers from Pam and Cat here. Dry ice is a good one.. I have an insane coworker who’s a great guy. He can do vocal impressions of virtually anyone, and he’s pretty funny for that.

      Otherwise I once mixed ice and dry ice and sculpted a giant dragon. My co-workers thought I was both talented and insane.

      🙂 is that funny enough? I might be able to do better if not..

      Daz

Comments

  • Photo: fayesedg

    fayesedg commented on :

    Thanx for your comments guys, I love the idea of dry ice and the balance ball. I read about a scientist who mixed his friends tea with a spoon he had used for salt, not nice, salty tea. Ick!
    Faye