Subject: Alternatives to Formalin?
From: DGedye@netlink.co.nz-NO-SPAM (Daz Gedye)
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1996 11:05:32 GMT
Hi,
I'm the science technician at a high school.
The biology teachers have a number of specimens stored in
formalin. This has slowly been escaping over the years and
now they want the jars topping up.
It seems to me that formalin is a pretty hazardous substance
to have at a high school. The TLV for Formaldehyde is 2ppm,
and if it comes in contact with HCl it forms
chloromethoxychloromethane which has a TLV of 1ppb.
My lab safety manual says alternative fixatives are
available, but unhelpfully doesnt give any examples.
So what are the alternatives to using formalin as a
fixative?
And yes, I've read the FAQ ( hi Bruce ;-> )
--
Daz Gedye
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http://www.netlink.co.nz/~dgedye
--
Daz Gedye
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Subject: Re: PATNEWS: Chomsky on India, GATT, Pharmaceutical Patents, 3rd World
From: jbh@ILP.Physik.Uni-Essen.DE (Joshua B. Halpern)
Date: 17 Nov 1996 11:06:32 GMT
Alan \"Uncle Al\" Schwartz (uncleal0@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: Rahul Dhesi wrote:
: >In <565cti$8bv@dfw-ixnews7.ix.netcom.com> Alan \"Uncle Al\" Schwartz
: > writes:
SNIP...
: >A less-developed country X has much to gain, and little to lose, by not
: >recognizing foreign patents and copyrights. It *should* have its own
: >system of patents and copyrights, so productivity will be encouraged.
: >It will of course need to live with the likely result that other
: >countries may choose not to recognize its copyrights and patents.
: >
: >Similarly, there is nothing wrong with the US reciprocating by choosing
: >not to recognize the copyrights and patents of country X.
: >
: >There is absolutely nothing immoral about using the published ideas of
: >others. It is only immoral to do so by deception. There is nothing
: >deceptive about an open declaration that countries X and Y choose not to
: >recognize each other's copyrights and patents.
:
:
: The proper term is "usufruct" - gaining value from another's property.
: Convince me that you should steal value from my efforts and I should
: award you my charitable blessing for having the chutzpah to do it.
: It is more likely I will be predisposed to award you a punch in the nose.
:
Two good examples of usufruction which contributed greatly to the
economic development of a nation were the establishment of the weaving
industry in the US by unauthorized (stealing would be a better word)
of Jacquard loom technology, and establishment of the printing
industry in the 19th century when foreign (British) copyrights were
not recognized. Dickens in particular, if I remember correctly
was ripped off. It does work...
josh halpern
: --
: Alan "Uncle Al" Schwartz
--
Subject: VietMath War: Witten talks about Wiles
From: Archimedes.Plutonium@dartmouth.edu (Archimedes Plutonium)
Date: 16 Nov 1996 21:37:12 GMT
In article <328B3356.72A9@ix.netcom.com>
Mike Herauf writes:
>Hooray for you Doctor Witten. You know now, that you are a disciple of the p-
>adics in physics, or something like that now, don't you? Andrew Wiles is quite >a dishwasher character at the Princeton Bar & Grill. He hates anyone who
>disagrees with his Fermat's Last Theorem, which are obviously idiotic, and have >been proven so. They carry no weight or importance here.
>
>However, Ed Witten is quite intelligent. If you get him to coverse on a
>worthwhile subject, he can be quite interesting and resourceful.
>
>As far as his attacks upon Wiles, forget them.
>
>Mike
>
>P.S.
>
>Welcome to the club
Hear , here. Darla can teach you some manners Mike when she is not
flirting around. Tell Darla I treat everyone the same, I don't care if
you are a flirting female, my only concern is the correct physics.
Subject: Re: Weird Dual-Use Chemicals
From: Harvey N Rutt
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 1996 12:11:06 +0000
Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> I'm wondering what weird dual-use chemicals are out there.
> By this I mean, a chemical that has two or more uses that
> are completely different and unexpected. I know two good
> examples:
I do not know if it when ahead, but sugar (sucrose, table sugar!) was
seriously proposed for 'shot blasting' the inside of Tokamaks
(magnetically confined controlled fusion machines) because of its low
atomic weight, solubility & very high purity readily & cheaply available
in bulk!
Caramel making at 100,000K :-)
Harvey Rutt
Subject: Re: Lab Accidents.......
From: jmorriss@gbc.gbrownc.on.ca (John Morriss)
Date: 17 Nov 1996 09:54:55 -0500
>>rwpick01@ldd.net (Randal W. Pick) wrote:
>>> ... Here's one of mine (let's hear yours):
>
By comparison, this one is relatively minor, but embarassing nonetheless.
While doing a NaOh-HCl titration, spilled the beaker of nearly neutralized
solution on my lap. Did a rapid blotting, checked for any burning
sensation, and carried on. I figured that the solution was too weak at
that stage to worry about.
A week later, while wearing the same pants, at home (Thank God!), I got up
quickly , and noticed a sudden cold draft. When I looked down I determined
that, while the wool fabric was in great shape, the nylon thread on the
inside seam running from one ankle to the other via the groin was
-=gone=-. I was essentailly wearing a skirt with a strange hemline...
