Australia's Science Forum

Hi Everyone,
I have just gone to make some agar plates and discovered the peptone has become rock hard.
Is it essential or can I replace it with something? I won't have time to buy it as i need the plates for Wednesday.
Any suggestions?
Helen

Hi everyone, I am totally confused as one of the things that they picked us up on at our audit before last was the fact that even though we had a chemical register and a spare copy at the front office we only had MSDS copies in science. We were told we needed to have them at the front office for the...

Hi everyone,
We used to have a still but have changed over to a deioniser.
The distilled water would sometimes have a PH of 6 but the deionised water I have just used has a PH of nearly 8. Is this normal? The teachers are a little confused by the readings.
Helen

Hi everyone, Our SAM also mentioned the other day that everyone was going to have to learn each others jobs. Last time she tried to get the office staff to work in the Labs a couple of days a week the first lady she chose left the school completely before she even started and the next lady cried so ...

My thoughts also go to all those who have lost loved ones or homes in the fires. Just the most terrible time for everyone . Our school is also doing fund raising starting with a gold coin donation and working from there. After the tsunami the school had a great idea for fundraising and started a com...

Hi Maria, I have also had this problem. The last school I was at I had no problems making the stirring rods with the glass that was there. When I came to this school there was already some long glass rod and I tried to melt it to make stirring rods with no success. One of the teachers tried to show ...

Hey Rosalie,
I sent you a personal message but doesn't look like you got it.
I am supposed to be coming over this morning to look at your labs. the head teacher and another teacher are also coming. Do you know about this? Is it OK with you?
Helen

Hi Rosalie,
Yes these are the ones, thank you.
It all looks much nicer than our 50 year old labs. Should be good when it's done.
Helen

Thank you so much Rosalie.
Helen

Hi everyone,
We have just been told we are having our labs. refurbished. I can't seem to find the link yo the photos of ones already dobe.
Am I just stupid or are they somewhere else?
Helen

We recently purchased a lovely coloured DNA model which is in a perspex box. All the teachers have been very happy as we only had a broken wooden one before. We also get the girls to make models but this one gets a lot of use. It came from Serrata and cost $150 so I don't know if that is too much fo...

Hi everyone, We have 1300 students at our school. 8 classes in each of the junior years year 11: 5xbio 5xchem 3x physics 1x sen. science 1x EES year 12 5x bio 4x chem 3x physics 1x sen. science 1x EES I have 1 day off each cycle (two weeks) and another lady works 2 days a week. Our teachers don't te...

Hi everyone, We also have one of these and when we were having our schools 50th anniversary open day we polished it up and put it on display with other old equipment. I thought it looked great. We did get a lot of comments from people asking if it was some sort of bong so I don't know that it was to...

Thanks everyone.
I think chucking out some stuff sounds like a good idea and then I will just add the others to the register.
I am now only doing science which is good for me but it will be interesting to see how they go getting the GA to do a list.
Helen

Hi everyone, Can anyone help me please? I have just found out the school is being audited next month and they are concentrating on the chemicall safety area.This a departmental audit not workcover. What a surprise- I seem to be the one expected to have everything in order. Last time our chemical reg...

Dear Teresa and other labbies, I will be speaking to Rosalie today so will certainly pass on the the messages of good will to her. She was to find out this week if she needs to have skin grafts so is understandably anxious about that. I'm sure she will be pleased to hear we are thinking of her. She ...

Hi everyone, I was talking to someone who works at Epping with Rosalie and they said she has been very moved by all the messages of support. She still has quite a way to go with her recovery so keep those positive thoughts coming. When I speak to her again I will let her know we are all still thinki...

Dear Chemtalkers, I have just had a phone call from Rosalie the lady who had the accident at Epping. She is slowly getting better and was very touched to hear that so many of her fellow labbies were thinking of her. Her main concern though was that the same thing not happen to anyone else. Her advic...

Hi everyone, I was at an OH&S course on Monday and spoke to the OH&S person from Epping. He said that Rosalie was carrying a 2 litre bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid and dropped the bottle and slipped into the acid. She has burns to her arm and legs and he wasn't sure if she would need a...

Dear Chemtalkers, It was actually the lab attendant who was injured in the acid accident at Epping Boys High. I don't have all the details but apparently she slipped while carrying acid and has burnt her leg and arm quite badly. Luckily there was a teacher there to help her as it was their sport aft...