Thursday, October 2, 2008

Science: 268 ScienceMama: 0

I'm a complete idiot.

I'm known in various circles for my propensity to break glassware (usually with important samples or toxic chemicals inside... the Bottle of Formaldehyde Incident of '03 was hard to live down). I've got a weird brown spot on my middle finger from a time when I was handling formadehyde without gloves. I once accidentally splattered DMSO in my mouth (a tiny flick off the inside of an eppie tube lid, but still... it made my tongue feel weird). I mean I've always been an idiot, prone to accidents, but seriously guys, this one takes the cake.

Yesterday I VERY CAREFULLY cut out bands on the UV box wearing eye protection... instead of a face mask.

Today, I look like I fell asleep in a tanning bed. Or went snorkling on the sun.

9 comments:

Jennifer said...

Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has done this to myself!

It took me a day to figure out what had happened. I had even made an appointment at the student health center thinking I was having a weird allergic flushing reaction to something.

Then, I realized that I was an idiot and possible the whitest person in the world.

ScientistMother said...

thank you for that. I am so surprised that I have not done that yet...though with my skin tone it would be hard to tell

Belanii said...

I knew a 3rd year neurosurgery resident who did this. He was also convinced he was having an allergic reaction to something in the tissues he was culturing. We finally figured it out b/c I was working on the same tissues in a non-UV hood, with no sunburn.

And there was even a sign on the hood (discovered after the fact)
warning about UV burns...!!! Duh.

Cath@VWXYNot? said...

At least you had the goggles on! I know someone who was effectively blind for almost 24 hours after forgetting the glasses...

Anonymous said...

I uv-burned the underside of my nose and chin years ago cutting out gel bands WITH a face mask on... apparently it only works if you hover over the box like a vulture! genius, i'm a freakin genius.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like something I would do.... And apparently you're not alone in those who have done it.

ScienceMama said...

The thing is that I know better, I was just in a hurry and didn't think about it. It's certainly not the first time I've ever cut bands out of a gel... it's just the first time I did it without a face mask.

Tina said...

I find myself getting more and more paranoid as I get older. I remember how I used to spill xylene everywhere and then splash around through it. That would freak me out, now. And the UV box? I use two layers of protective gear. Paranoid, I tell you.

Isis the Scientist said...

ScienceMama, your UV troubles warm both your face and my heart.