Here comes the science!

[meresy]

Strange/funny things encountered in fic/the internet:

- A character waking up and attempting to focus his retinas. Sounds painful.

- Liquid nitrogen being kept in a sealed container. Firstly, it's not a bomb, you don't have to be afraid... but it WILL be a bomb if you don't have an outlet for the pressure.

- A spoon, frozen in liquid N2,

Comments

[ariastar]

...I kind of suspect that the incorrect liquid nitrogen use is my fault. If so, I apologize on behalf of fictional science. :D

[meresy]

Ahaha, I am a jerk. I didn't mean to call anyone out! ♥

... But I work with liquid nitrogen all the time so I Know Things, you see.

Mostly nobody really writes about biochemistry, so I am kind of sad because I can't put on my Knowledge Hat and declaim. Except if it's about Jurassic Park. Don't get any biologist started on that one.

[ariastar]

Hah, no worries. It is good for future reference!

I imagine that being a scientist who likes sci-fi must be extremely trying at times, oh man.

[meresy]

Every time some show/movie brings the genetics, there are consequences for the height of my right eyebrow.

(The micrograph thing was that best... I think that was from Outbreak, actually, the most hilare of all science movies. Here is a picture of the membrane proteins on Ebolavirus! Yeah, I took it on the microscope in my truck. O_o)

[mikes_grrl]

- Reference to the Black Death being caused by a virus. Yersinia pestis would like a word.

That had me laughing out loud.

[meresy]

Well, it's possible it was something else, as it's hard to do sputum culture on 650-year-old bugs, but, yeah. Buboes.

Y. pestis was badass once! Don't forget it! :P

[etcetera_cat]

It still has its badass moments! Particularly when external labs culture it from samples we've sent them, and then phone up to ask if any of the staff are showing 'flu-like symptoms, and if they are they need to phone DEFRA and then GO TO A&E NOW OMG.

Which, I mean, I found it fairly hilarious? I'm not so sure that our local hospital did when five people turned up (we had coincidental colds) and announced that the government said we needed culturing and antibiotics because we might have plaaaaaaaague (the swabs were all negative, but we still all had to do 21 days of antibiotics).

[meresy]

Good times.

I'll be over here in my Level 1 lab, kthx.

[kristiinthedark]

I feel more educated now. :D

[meresy]

:D

I have to trip on these things, Kristi, it is my professional curse. /life is so hard etc.

[etcetera_cat]

I...think I'm going to laugh along with you.

[meresy]

I have been trying to collect all these random "wait, what?" moments for a post just such as this. I know I've forgotten some. I have to get better at making a note.

[etcetera_cat]

I keep meaning to do a collective post of all the weird things people ask me at work, but I suspect that they'll only be funny to me, and just plain skeevy to everyone else (so it turns out that if you're too embarrassed to actually go to the STD clinic, the next port of call is to anonymously phone up a vet practice and list symptoms to them until the nurse on the end has to "put you on hold while I just check something" and then fall off her chair laughing)

[meresy]

LMAO.

I challenge anyone not to find that hilaritizing.

[_unhurt_]

oh dear! (though this is more or less how i feel about any and all fictional examples of archaeology. on the rare occasions they have done a tiny bit of research it's always about 40 years out of date...)

[meresy]

But I thought Indiana Jones was a documentary. o_o

[_unhurt_]

see, indy gets a pass for being totally silly! it's the stuff that acts like this is ARCHAEO-FACT that makes me craaaaazy. you know. in the archaeology-face.