• Question: Have you ever had a near death experience due to science ?

    Asked by anon-195750 on 19 Jan 2019.
    • Photo: Kevin Daly

      Kevin Daly answered on 19 Jan 2019:


      Never! Saying that, you have to be very careful in the lab. Many of chemicals we work are dangerous, and some are carcinogen (cancer-causing). Personally, I also work with high-speed saws which can be scary – so I have to be sure to wear thick protective gloves when sawing.

    • Photo: Reka Nagy

      Reka Nagy answered on 21 Jan 2019:


      Nope – sitting in front of a computer to do science does not lead to many life-threatening situations. At least not sudden ones – but sitting for long periods of time is not good for you!

    • Photo: Hannah Cornish

      Hannah Cornish answered on 22 Jan 2019:


      Not really, although fieldwork always gives you lots of good stories to tell. Getting your welly boots stuck in a muddy stream and having your car sat on by a cow are usually not life threatening.

    • Photo: Laura Nolan

      Laura Nolan answered on 23 Jan 2019:


      Luckily I haven’t! I work mainly with bacteria, most of which won’t kill you (well not instantly anyway) and chemicals in the lab. Some of the chemicals are pretty toxic but they will more be slow killers (cancer causing) than instant killers I would say.

    • Photo: Gill Harrison

      Gill Harrison answered on 27 Jan 2019:


      No fortunately!
      I’ve been squirted with blood pumping from an artery when we doing a laser procedure once (learnt not to stand at the end of the bed!!), but nothing life threatening thank goodness!

    • Photo: James Cole

      James Cole answered on 31 Jan 2019:


      I’ve been on fieldwork in East Africa and our rental vehicle broke down on us in a near fatal way. There had been a hole drilled in the differential which allowed the oil to leak out of it. Because of this as we drove, the metal expanded and locked which caused the vehicle to come to a very sudden stop. Fortunately we were only travelling 30km per hour at the time, if it had been any faster I’m not sure we would have survived. However, as an archaeologist our field work is not dangerous in itself, mostly just the travelling to and from site.

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