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". Tom
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.
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 ...
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:
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
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.
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?
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.
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 ...
If you think this robot, built by professors and professionals is amazing, check out what some high school students can do in only 6 weeks: Robots Take Over Williams, Mariucci Arenas at Univ. of Minnesota (sorry, shameless plug for the robotics team i mentor every year)
