Life of a Lab Rat

Baseball caps. I wear a backward baseball cap when I do tissue culture, not because I'm a badass thug (though I am one, of course) but because when I wear it facing frontward the bill bangs on the tissue culture glass, as well as on the microscopes.

Chillin in the hood,

Ian

I am obviously not qualified to comment on this post because I am neither a scientist nor an IPod (or MP3 player) listener. However, I am not normal either so maybe I have a small claim to that honour. My question is: why are scientists different? Wouldn't anyone have that problem with an IPod while trying to do something else: sweep up the leaves from the gutters, for example, or stacking shelves?

It takes a special kind of person to be able to successfully listen to an iPod while maintaining a sterile TC work area. This is a skill I'm tempted to put it on my CV. The lack of breast pockets in women's clothing makes it particularly difficult for the fairer sex. We must run the iPod cord down the back of our shirts, through the back opening of our gown and around the front to the hip pocket in the lab coat. The tricky part comes when you have discovered that some b@stard has put Celine Dion on your iPod and you need to press skip without compromising the sterility of your environment. For those fortunate to have the new iPod, a sharp, shaking jig is all that's needed to force the iPod to skip said ear bleeding song. For those of us so, like, yesterday with our technology, one may have a strategically placed pen in the same lab coat pocket that will press the iPod skip button when the operator pushes their hip against the underside of the hood.

:-)

Does that answer your question, Maxine?

@meagan

I'd just respray the living hell out of my hands when that happens.

that's when I get to use the ipod at all, though. because invariably as soon as I sit down at the hood someone in the lab has the urgent need to ask me things.

I just use a shuffle clipped to my bra. Jealous?

Very.