The science geek connection

Many do not realize this, but psychiatrists are nothing more than ordinary physicians that use a lot of psychobabble terms like "therapeutic process" and "object relations" and know a lot more about prescribing Prozac and Clozaril than other physicians. And before physicians were physicians, most of us were ordinary college students majoring in fields that would have earned us the title "science geek." I was no exception, at one time being a biochemistry major, which is a fancy way of saying I liked to work with radioactive elements in my lab experiments more than do math.
Whether our interests were in biochem, physical chem or organic, we all liked to do side lab work, the kind not actually sanctioned by the university or actually intentionally included in assigned lab course work. Often referred to as "stupid shit", basically, we liked to blow things up. Some of my past endeavors included the manufacture of gunpowder in the chemistry stockroom while our supervisor was at lunch and igniting a crucible-full in the fume hood. There is also the non-intentional "stupid shit" that can be just as fun. Like my biology major friend who exploded a glass test tube of elemental sodium by being none too careful adding a reagent, sending glass shards and some unknown organic substance flying throughout a ten foot radius of organic chemistry lab. Although I was not witness to a second event, rumor has it he was responsible for causing the mass evacuation of the entire second floor of the Physical Sciences Building due to the accidental creation of a huge sulfur dioxide cloud in the very same lab.

Truth be told, science geeks love to do stupid shit. Why? Because we can, I suppose. When we got three feet of snow a few weeks ago, I know my husband had in the back of his mind my fantasy to build a snowman, lob a huge lump of elemental sodium into it and watch it burst into flames. Not that I have access to elemental sodium, but it would be SO FREAKING COOL to watch that display that I cannot help but to think about it.

That is why I got so frustrated when I saw some show on some unnamed educational science-type cable network doing a show about collisions in outer space and blatantly showed some astrophysicist type doing a supposed "scientific" demonstration and what he was really doing was stupid shit. His way of demonstrating the results of a collision between two planets was to run an explosive wire through a watermelon at various depths to show the extent of damage that it would do. Somehow this would correlate to the damage done by the collision of different sizes of planets. The deeper the charge was placed, the more damage done. The intent was to illustrate the results if different sizes of planets were to collide with planet sized watermelons, or planets that were composed of watermelon type material at least. Supposed to illustrate this event. What I saw was an astrophysicist and his assistant blowing up watermelons in the desert and most likely having a laugh when the cameras were not rolling. They were probably getting paid to do it, too.

Personally, I have treated Jehovah, the Antichrist, people being bombarded by "beta rays", and helped women who have PTSD from being raped by aliens, but exploding watermelons is not a sanctioned activity in my job profile. It might violate the fire code, for that matter and would probably get me in heat with the medical staff office, my medical director, JCHAO, etc. So interesting though my job may be, it lacks the mischievous element of the science geek life.
Which sounds more fun? I will leave that with the reader.