I second nolannda's comment. Things I Won't Work With is definitely worth a read.
These stories highlight the very real dangers of working in a chemistry lab. Very sadly, a researcher at UCLA died a couple of years ago when using tert-butyl lithium because no one had checked that she knew how to handle it.
Why on earth would you open an ampoule with a hammer??
ReplyDeleteMy favorite source for insane chemistry stories is Derek Lowe's Things I Won't Work With section on his blog.
ReplyDeleteThey are very well and comically written. My favorite is probably "Dioxygen Difluoride" with "Sand Won't Save You This Time" coming in a close second.
I second nolannda's comment. Things I Won't Work With is definitely worth a read.
ReplyDeleteThese stories highlight the very real dangers of working in a chemistry lab. Very sadly, a researcher at UCLA died a couple of years ago when using tert-butyl lithium because no one had checked that she knew how to handle it.
Very sad indeed. http://cen.acs.org/articles/87/web/2009/01/Researcher-Dies-Lab-Fire.html
Delete