His Mercury Is In Retrograde
(One day, I need to check the room temperature for an experiment, so I find a thermometer in a drawer and leave it lying on the workbench.)
Colleague: “You are not allowed to use that thermometer! Mercury is hazardous!”
Me: “This is a safety thermometer; it has alcohol, not mercury, inside.”
Colleague: “No! It’s mercury! I’m going to tell the safety officer!”
Me: “Mercury isn’t blue!”
(In the end the issue got escalated to our company boss and I had to show documentation from the manufacturer that it was alcohol dyed blue inside. The colleague who started the fight had a Master’s in chemistry.)
Question of the Week
What is the most wholesome experience you’ve ever had?