Sorting lab problems
Hi,
I'm just cleaning out some old emails and thought you may enjoy this contribution to a technical mailing list I'm on.
Dave
-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: high-pitch whine from IRMS?\
On Mar 29, 2007, at 3:14 PM, XXXXXXX wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Might anyone know why my Delta Plus Advantage emits a high-pitch
> whine when running sulfur by EA-IRMS??? It does not do this for
> any other gas configuration.
>
> I will accept humorous answers as well as bona-fide truths.
>
> Cheers,
> XXXX
XXXX,
I'd like to help with your problem, but you will need to explain what you mean by "whine". Years ago, one of my colleagues, who is now a Harvard Professor, had a "NO WHINING" sign posted at the door of her lab. Consequently, she had no problems like the kind you describe.
Have you considered that you might have a "whinge" instead of a whine? Or a combination of the two? The "whinge" is typically an Australian problem, or should we say a perceived problem, often associated in Oz, with visiting Brits (i.e., the "whingeing Pom"--no joke, this is a real phrase found on the Microsoft Word Dictionary). I doubt that this is your problem in Flagstaff.
We've found over the years that banning both whining and whinging from the Labs has resulted in a far superior working environment. If I were you, I would check my colleagues, perhaps those who have been known to "nag" once in a while about where their samples are in the analysis queue. For that, check to see that no disgruntled students, avaricious postdocs, or jealous colleagues are lurking anywhere
around the mass spectrometer. If they are, my tactic is to ask them (politely of course), if they would like to help change the oil in a vacuum pump. Whiners, or whingers, tend to get scarce at this point.
Your problem may thus be solved.
Whether you have the whine or whinge, your goal is to get your turbos to "whinny"--a soft neighing sound, often associated with laughter. Your colleagues often will follow, and life will be good.
Good Luck!
YYYYY
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