True Lab Stories: Fire Safety
The interesting part of the story is the reason why they didn't get in trouble for wiring the laser directly to the mains and starting a fire...Posted on January 17, 2008 10:52 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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"Prof. Orzel gives the impression of an everyday guy who just happens to have a vast but hidden knowledge of physics." (anonymous student evaluation comment)
The miscellaneous ramblings of a physicist at a small liberal arts college. Physics, politics, pop culture, and occasional conversations with his dog.
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Lab Stories:
True Lab Stories: Demolition Men
The true story of a little do-it-yourself lab renovation.Posted on January 15, 2008 10:44 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: The Oaf Effect
It's been a while since I did one of these (see "How to Tell a True Lab Story" for an explanation), but yesterday's laser tech story reminded me of one. The lab next to mine in grad school also used...Posted on January 11, 2008 10:37 AM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Why I Am Not a Biologist
Every now and then, usually in the summer or early fall, when the sun is shining and it's just pleasant to be outdoors, I find myself almost regretting my career choices. After all, had I chosen a career in the...Posted on September 14, 2007 10:37 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Evil Professor Tricks
A week or two ago, one of my students measured the power output of a grating-locked diode laser, and came into my office saying "I think I may have killed the laser." The power output was much too low for...Posted on July 20, 2007 10:18 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Fun With Materials Science
"Give it another half hour," I said, "and if the gauge still won't read, fire it up anyway. It won't hurt anything." In retrospect, those have the unmistakable ring of Famous Last Words.Posted on June 27, 2007 8:26 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Death of a Laser
What's the deal with last night's silly obituary? Basically, the main laser in my experiment died because I'm a jackass.Posted on February 7, 2007 9:50 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Boris the Magnet Guy
In which the solution to a maddening problem is in the lab upstairs.Posted on September 7, 2006 12:44 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Smells Like... Not Victory, That's for Sure
The true story of the exploding MOSFETs.Posted on August 31, 2006 11:13 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Career Tracks
Have you considred a career in theoretical physics?Posted on August 17, 2006 12:48 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Too Stupid to Be a Scientist
True Lab Stories really are everywhere these days. Via Inside Higher Ed's Around the Web, a blog called "What the Hell Is Wrong With You?" offers True Lab Stories: The Party Game (my name, not hers): Back in the good...Posted on August 17, 2006 10:08 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Gravity Still Works
True Lab stories are everywhere, as Arcance Gazebo today features a story of new and interesting liquid nitrogen experiments: Condensed matter labs such as ours receive frequent deliveries of liquid nitrogen in one- or two-hundred liter dewars. Unfortunately, most of...Posted on August 16, 2006 7:17 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Strangest Group Meeting Ever
Never dare an experimentalist to spend money.Posted on August 14, 2006 12:49 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: Maybe You Should Ask a Rocket Scientist
It's been a while since I did a True Lab Story, and it seems like an appropriate sort of topic for a rainy Friday when I have grades to finish. I'm running out of really good personal anecdotes, but there...Posted on June 9, 2006 11:49 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: The Sound of Silence
A low-key True Lab Story, in honor of Derek Lowe's admonition to know more about your experiment than anybody else.Posted on May 8, 2006 1:50 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
True Lab Stories: The Definition of Insanity
I'm still feeling pretty lethargic, but I hope that will improve when I get to lecture about the EPR paradox in Quantum Optics today (it's going to be kind of a short lecture, unless I can ad-lib an introduction to...Posted on April 21, 2006 11:23 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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