Okay. This week
requires that you watch a video. Do it.
Now that that is done, let’s discuss this “newscast.” I take several issues with it. However, I also – shockingly – admit that somewhere in this piece is a point worth discussing, but it’s so buried by inflammatory information that we could cook s’mores on it.
I chose
to point out this video for two reasons.
First, they go after my school. I
went to graduate school at one of these universities that was subject to this “investigative
reporting.” Second, so much of what is
said is designed to illicit knee-jerk “ohmygodtheworldisending” responses that
I can’t just sit here and pretend that this piece is extolling the truth. Remember my Thinking Critically post? Yeah – critical thinking failed these
newscasters and anyone who believed their reporting. So, let’s discuss what is truthful and what
is sensationalism here, shall we?
Sensationalism
– forgive me, but this part will be obnoxious as is befitting that ridiculous
broadcast.
One. Overall reaction: inflammatory reporting.
The overuse of the words “chemicals,” “powders,” “liquids,” “acid,”
and “flammable” just kill me.
Let’s start with the word chemical. People have this idea that “chemicals” are
bad. Yeah – water is a chemical;
vitamins are all chemicals; your body is swimming organic and inorganic
chemicals. I’m going to even let you in
on a small secret – you have arsenic in your body! That all natural hair dye people cling to? Full of chemicals. Everything on this planet is a chemical so
let’s stop thinking that everything labeled a chemical is bad. It’s not.
If we got rid of the all chemicals, you’d be staring at empty space. In fact, you wouldn’t be here at all.
As for the next two words, just like in the cooking world,
some things are powders and some things are liquids. It’s hardly surprising that “chemicals” also
come in the same formats.
The last two are my favorites. Scientists are required to label cabinets
with the words “acid” and “flammable.”
Not only do laboratory workers need to know these things, but if an accident
befalls the lab, emergency personnel need to know the major characteristics of
these things! Acids are reactive and
need to be stored separate from bases so they get their own rated (and labeled!)
cabinet. Flammables have a risk of
explosion at certain temperatures so they get their own explosion-rated (and labeled!)
cabinets. Good grief.
Two. “We even
walked by nitrogen tanks!”
Yes, yes you did.
Nitrogen is ~80% of the air we breathe.
Those (properly built and designed to hold) nitrogen tanks contain liquid
nitrogen. Yes, liquid nitrogen is
extremely cold and will give you burns if you don’t have the proper personal
protective equipment (PPE!), but if you’re stupid enough to turn on the
tank without knowing what it is – shame on you.
(“We
mustn’t touch what isn’t ours.” – Severus Snape.)
But, if you are curious, here is what will happen if you do
turn it on: the first thing you’d be greeted with is puffs of white vapor, then
the hose from the tank would freeze and finally liquid nitrogen would start to
spurt on the floor, but immediately boil back into gaseous nitrogen. This all takes a few minutes. I’m telling you, the minute the tank started
to choke out vapor, you’d be turning that tank off and going to find someone
who knows what’s up long before liquid nitrogen starts coming out.
Three.
HYDROCHLORIC ACID (HCL) and ETHYL ETHER (C4H10 O)
If you are going to put the fear of God in people, at least
spell the terms correctly. Hydrochloric
acid is HCl. Yes, the capitalization and
lowercase of the letters is important.
Ethyl ether is C4H10O. Again, subscripting is important – do a small
amount of research on what you’re reporting before you plaster your ignorance
on the screen.
Four. We could have “picked them up, stuffed them
in our bags, and walked right out.”
Well, I suppose you could have, but good luck “stuffing” a
bottle of concentrated hydrochloric acid in your bag. I’m willing to bet that you will burn
yourself long before you get out the door, which would require a trip to the
hospital, and then you’ll have to explain that 4 liter bottle of HCl in your
bag. Enjoy being arrested!
Truth – in
a rational and respectful tone
Chemicals are easily
accessible.
This is quite truthful.
The report says that the reporters could simply walk into the chemistry
buildings of two universities. Some
buildings have keycards and some don’t.
But, even with keycards, people hold doors open. I’m sure if they had hung around Drexel’s
Science Center (it’s new and gorgeous, by the way!) they would have gotten in. It’s not horribly difficult to get into a
laboratory. Once in, it’s also not
entirely impossible to find a lab with no people in it and nick something. In theory – it’s really not!
However, labs stock lots and lots of chemicals and, as
vigilant as we like to be, these chemicals are in really random orders. I can’t even find some bottles that I know we
have. To steal effectively, someone
would need to be staking out the lab to easily find their target or be an
inside person. I’m not saying a thief
couldn’t get lucky on one pass through an unfamiliar lab, though. Stuff happens.
Laboratory personnel are required to ask unknown people in
their lab what they’re up to. If we feel
they are suspicious, we are required to call security (building, campus, etc) and a
report goes out to the rest of the building.
Locking up each and every chemical is not possible. Scientists use so many different ones all day
that those cabinets would be left unlocked for feasibility. This would be like cooking in a kitchen where
the cabinets and the refrigerator needs to be unlocked before opening. Think about how unrealistic that is.
Locking up labs when we leave for meetings or talks during the
day is also difficult. We could carry
keys, but the major problem is one room is not one laboratory. We share space with other labs and have to be
respectful of their schedules, too.
Locking doors also makes collaboration and work between labs difficult –
we can’t carry keys to each and every room in the entire building. Scientists are often in each other’s labs
borrowing and using equipment. It’s not
as simple as an office job where you can just shut the door and it doesn’t affect
other people.
However, scientist do
lock up the most egregious reagents. For
example, I use radioactivity often. It
is under lock and key at all times and we have specific sheets recording its
usage.
Can we do better? Of
course. Many times we think that someone
else in the lab knows who that weirdo person is and we don’t ask. We should be more open and questioning about
unknown people. We should keep our eyes
open to people we aren’t sure belong in the hallways or who are hovering around
chemicals. Definitely.
REFERENCES
Original broadcast: http://www.myfoxphilly.com//dpp/news/local_news/fox-investigates:-chemicals-on-campus#.Tz0bxuvDj00.facebook
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