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Robo-scientist

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by qbee42, Apr 3, 2009.

  1. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Robo-scientist's first findings

    Perhaps galaxee can help me on this one, but I thought robot scientists were invented long ago. We call them "grad students". :p

    Tom
     
    #1 qbee42, Apr 3, 2009
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  2. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    Sounds like they found the key to the Tardis, and let K-9 out!!
     
    #2 KK6PD, Apr 3, 2009
  3. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i have felt like a robot on many occasions, but that's mostly because when i do something it's go big or go home. what's a little pipetting of several different solutions into 600 tubes twice a day? today i've got 180 samples incubating- slow day.

    unfortunately, we're still the cheapest labor available.
     
    #3 galaxee, Apr 3, 2009
  4. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Nope, no way a research place would replace hundreds of cheap - almost free - grad students with a pricey robot

    However, that robot DOES have other uses .... vaguely sinister uses ...
     
    #4 jayman, Apr 3, 2009
  5. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    One of the reasons I got out of grad school is because I got tired of doing the same experiment over and over again.

    When I was an undergrad Mech engineer student, one of my wise professors told us to beware of getting a job where you could eventually be replaced by a machine. Watch out grad students. :madgrin:
     
    #5 dogfriend, Apr 3, 2009
  6. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Have you tried pipetting chloroform? Back in high school, before anyone worried about dangerous lab chemicals, I got roped into doing an assay for the school's art department to check for lead in glazes. I spent a lot of time pipetting chloroform by mouth, and would then go to the next class just hammered. That stuff really makes you fuzzy.

    Tom
     
    #6 qbee42, Apr 3, 2009
  7. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    Tom, osha would have a shit fit over that nowadays! they don't like us pipetting anything by mouth, and that stuff goes in the fume hood.

    though i do use liberal sprays of 95% etoh to clean out a -17C cabinet, and that does make me fuzzy.
     
    #7 galaxee, Apr 3, 2009
  8. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Well, you aren't supposed to spray it into your mouth, at least not much of it. :rolleyes:

    Tom
     
    #8 qbee42, Apr 3, 2009
  9. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Why 95% etoh? I thought 70% was actually more effective for disinfecting surfaces. Is it just because of the temp, or trying to kill something tougher than a bacteria?
     
    #9 Trollbait, Apr 3, 2009
  10. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    it's because of temperature- don't want anything to ice up. there's nothing to kill, just removing residue from tissue embedding medium and tissue sections.
     
    #10 galaxee, Apr 3, 2009
  11. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    That sounds appetizing.

    Tom
     
    #11 qbee42, Apr 3, 2009
  12. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    less so when it gets on your shoes.
     
    #12 galaxee, Apr 3, 2009
  13. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I remember all the Tupperware containers full of rat sections. MMMmmm, yummy.

    Tom
     
    #13 qbee42, Apr 3, 2009
  14. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

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    Huffer...
     
    #14 amm0bob, Apr 3, 2009
  15. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    I once blew through a line that had been used for N2O4 (Dinitrogen tetroxide). I think I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and carried on with the rest of the day. It's a wonder I'm not dead or full of icky tumors

    Ah, to be young and dumb again ...
     
    #15 jayman, Apr 3, 2009
  16. eagle33199

    eagle33199 Platinum Member

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    #16 eagle33199, Apr 6, 2009
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