The arrangement of chemical stocks on shelves is important. But what causes arguments is whether it should be alphabetical by common name, or alphabetical by chemical symbol.
Obviously for some things — amino acids, or Tris and MES perhaps — the common names should win. However, and the first labmate who could immediately recall the mass of sodium chloride agrees with me, sodium chloride should be under 'N'.
We both automatically look for potassium salts under 'K'. Et cetera.
Wars have been fought over less.
Comments
Whoa. So if you mixed all that together, would it 'splode?
Posted by: Nige | May 19, 2008 07:40 PM
That's the thing about science, and scientists... you can never be sure until you do the experiment.
Posted by: bk | May 19, 2008 07:42 PM
Combination salts and stuff like that - keep under 'proper name so all the scientists in the lab even the non-English one can find them easy'. Read, "I am never going to look for potassium under P since that is phosphor for me.... and potassium is Kalium for me."
Then again, there probably is something about not putting alkalis together with acids isn't it? At least in my current lab we are not allowed to keep them alphabetised.... lucky for uis we only keep a smaller stock in lab and have a shared (alfabetised) stock in another room.
Posted by: chall | May 20, 2008 05:03 AM
This is where I cherish working with a computer even more than usually. I can just sort things however I want whenever I'm looking for them. And whatever my colleagues are thinking about it.
Posted by: Citronella | May 20, 2008 10:31 AM
It's probably a bad sign that I carefully examined the photo for signs of spiders and snakes. I'm apparently very worried about you all down there - watch out for the poisonous creatures!
While I never like to simplify a situation that could evolve into a nice battle, would it not be relatively easy to look in the other spot should a chemical not be stored where you think it should be? Then again, that does leave you standing still for longer - a perfect target for insects or reptiles. Perhaps this is more complicated and important than I first assumed.
Posted by: Katie | May 21, 2008 07:11 PM
Exactly, Katie; exactly.
You have to keep on the move, here. See the blue boxes up on the top? Know what hides behind them?
Drop bears. And I don't like Vegemite: 'nuff said.
Posted by: bk | May 21, 2008 07:22 PM
58.44 (without looking, of course) and anyone who puts NaCl under "s" for salt is an ignorant barbarian. Those wars you mention? :-)
Posted by: bill | October 14, 2008 01:21 PM
Gah, how did I post that without finishing my paragraph? Note to self: preview is your friend.
Anyway -- wars of EXTERMINATION, is what I was going to say.
And yes, I am waiting for a gel to run and scribbling all over your blog to entertain myself while I do it.
And you should reign that bastard spamfilter of yours in, it's just made me sit in the corner for five minutes before posting again.
[...]
Actually it's banned me entirely... let's see if a page reload will fool it.
Posted by: bill | October 15, 2008 05:04 AM
*hahahah*
Not my spam filter Bill—I hav eno control over it.
Posted by: bk | October 15, 2008 06:19 AM
eno control?
...sorry...
I agree with the use of the latinate names and organisation. Isn't that why we have them? and I also agree with your poster in the other "things about scientists": electrophysiologists (a la moi) do it too :)
Posted by: tideliar | October 18, 2008 10:31 AM