Having a superpower would be cool. Books, movies and TV, in their infinite wisdom, have led me to the conclusion that there is no better way to acquire such powers than through exposure to radioactive material. Reality, however, seems to prove otherwise and was quick to erode any superhuman hopes I had as I walked past a laboratory only recently marked 'Radioactive'.
I pass the lab everyday I'm at work. It lies between my office and my drinking water source. And more importantly, it sits almost directly across from my supervisor's office; a place I spend quite a bit of time and had also been my office the past summer.
Now, this lab is not particularly well-protected. More often than not, the door -- which is no different than the wooden doors gating faculty offices throughout the hall -- is open as lab workers toil away inside. Up until a few weeks ago, I was never led to believe that what they were doing in there might be in any way dangerous. But then I walked past the room and noticed one of those three-piece posterboards used for high school science projects. It was in the corner of the room marked with a paper sign that read, "Warning - Radioactive Material. Do not move."
At that point I was a little suspicious. The sign and barrier seemed a little too primitive for a department that routinely rakes in several million dollars in grants. Out of the ordinary happenings in that wing of the building, however, are not uncommon. Earmuffs were a staple accessory last summer as a major roof repair took place above our heads and the screams of what I can only identify as monkeys came from down the hall. Odd smells seem to dominate different hallways and have a tendency to rotate. And to top it all off, my current office is adjacent to the hazardous waste dropoff and wind tunnel lab, which tends to exhaust itself towards our offices.
But now the lab has a more formal 'Radioactive Laboratory' sign. I haven't seen it open in a few days. The sign isn't so much of a warning as it is simply a label.
Now, for anyone who has any expertise in science, you may have to excuse my potential ignorance on this issue. Perhaps this is typical and that a radioactive lab is not something that needs to be well-protected. I suppose we are exposed to radioactivity daily through all sorts of materials, so seeing it on a door shouldn't be too alarming.
But screw it. If it is important enough to label, then it's probably somewhat dangerous. And cool, in a strange way, as long as I'm not working there.
Who knows, maybe tomorrow morning I'll wake up and be able to fly.
