The FANTABULOUS lab timer

A most fantastic device has been invented in our lab recently. It is the all purpose chemistry 4 and a half minute glass! Here is how you too can make your very own device. All you need is two bottles of your choice (preferably empty, but whatever floats your boat), some superglue, some sand, and lastly a piercing implement!



Who really needs an hourglass anyway. An hour really isn't a very practical time period. However 4.5 minutes seems to be the ideal amount of time to do many many lab related things! For example, ever come back to your bench to find your t.l.c plate has overrun? Well no more! With the 4.5 minute glass your t.l.c plates will be full of t.l.c goodness when you return to your bench. (Of course, the 4.5 minute glass has been specially designed to account for variables such as solvent system, plate size, wind velocity etc.)

Here are some other lab related activities you can do in 4.5 minutes:

1) Annoy evil lab mates
2) Set up a column
3) Decide to quit your PhD
4) Act like an idiot and get your friend to take a photo (see picture below)



Of course there are many more, but I will leave suggestions up to our valued blog readers.