T.J. sent me this story about regular Scotch tape emitting X-rays. I worry that this article will make people wonder whether the roll of tape sitting on their desk is radioactive. Even the poor graduate student interviewed in the article said he “will continue to use Scotch tape during [his] daily life, and [he] thinks it’s safe to do it in your office. No guarantees.” Tsk tsk tsk… Scotch tape is not radioactive, nor is it giving you cancer.

Here’s how the experiment worked:

…a machine peeled ordinary Scotch tape off a roll in a vacuum chamber at about 1.2 inches per second. Rapid pulses of X-rays, each about a billionth of a second long, emerged from very close to where the tape was coming off the roll.

That’s where electrons jumped from the roll to the sticky underside of the tape that was being pulled away, a journey of about two-thousandths of an inch, Escobar said. When those electrons struck the sticky side they slowed down, and that slowing made them emit X-rays.

Now, I’m not claiming to be an expert on Scotch tape, nor do I know much of anything about this particular study at UCLA. And, I’m too lazy to read the latest issue of the holy grail of technical journals (i.e. Nature) to learn all the details of the finding. But I suspect these electrons, which are jumping from the tape roll to the sticky underside, are doing so because of the electrostatic forces generated when the tape is unrolled at such a fast rate. Radioactivity is not the cause of the electron generation!

The X-rays generated, depending on how energetic they are, could be harmful if you unroll a warehouse full of Scotch tape every day for 60 years. But in your everyday life, you’re not working in a vacuum chamber like the experiment–you’re working in air. Air can shield some X-rays, and just unrolling a few inches of tape at a time will yield such a miniscule radiation dose as compared to the dose you receive every time you get a dental X-ray.

So fear not, office workers. Tape is safe!

It was 0 degrees this morning. Zero. Fahrenheit. With the wind chill, it was -13. It’s that kind of cold that just knifes through you, making it feel like a million little needles are piercing your cheeks at once and when you breathe, the air seems to freeze the inside of your lungs.

I’ve felt that kind of cold before, but never had I seen ice coating the windows of a building inside said building! Here are some pictures from inside the Space Research Building on UM’s North Campus.

Glass doors:

Ice–nearly 1 inch thick in some places–coating a window, even though there’s an intense heater right below the window:

Now that’s cold.

I’ve always been one to revel in new things. My mother will be the first to attest to this. Since my elementary school days, I needed a new backpack at least once a school year, when a classmate got something nicer than what I was carrying. A new pencil case full of the latest mechanical pencils and erasers every time a new Sanrio character and its line of merchandise appeared in stores. A new box of Crayolas every September, even though my box of 64 from the previous year still had near-mint-condition tips, even on the most frequently used jungle green.

And that was just the beginning. Through middle school and high school, getting new clothes, shoes, and jewelery only became more important to me. As much as I’d like to think I’ve slowed down since then, I still relish in breaking in a new pair of shoes or taking the wheel of a new car for the first time. I guess my idea of “slowing down” is my consciousness playing bookkeeper, since I’m spending my own money now.

But my point here is that despite my enthusiasm for all things new, there are some possessions that I’ve kept with me for years and have no intention of nixing any time soon.

First and foremost, my wallet. Black leather with a gold ESPRIT logo. I’ve had it since the eighth grade. Last year, the coin pocket zipper broke. At the time, I told myself I needed a new wallet. But I just can’t separate myself from this one, its worn edges, its loosely-clasping clasp, and all the memories of carrying it around with me in the Prince Kuhio Plaza. That wallet spent more hours in Prince Kuhio Plaza than in any other mall in the country. I won’t get a new one until this one literally disintegrates.

Coincidentally, another of my timeless possessions is also an ESPRIT piece. It’s a grey cardigan, which I pulled off the sale rack at a little boutique in Fussen, Germany. I’ve had it since before the eleventh grade. Amazingly, it still fits. It’s obviously worn, but I still love its versatility.

My favorite of my old stuff? My first Periodic Table of the Elements, circa 1998. My tenth grade chemistry teacher gave each student one of these Periodic Tables in a plastic sheet protector. I highlighted about 25 of the elements–the elements whose chemical symbols I had to memorize for my first chemistry quiz. That Periodic Table has been one of my most trusted companions–and a good luck charm, too, I think–throughout my education. I still use it to this day. Of course, the sheet protector has indents in it, from the pressure of my handwriting when I did homework on top of the Periodic Table. But these indents are what keep me from getting a new sheet protector. And the 25 highlighted elements are what keep me from getting a new Periodic Table.

I don’t know how I have come to hold on to some things so tightly, yet I have no problem sending other things to Goodwill only months after I purchase them. All I know is that these items I have treasured for so many years are a part of me, a part of my history, a part of my being. The memories I’ve made with these objects, and the luck they’ve brought me, are irreplaceable. As crazy as it sounds, I’d feel lost without them. I’ll never feel comfortable in a different grey cardigan. I’ll cringe every time I pull a credit card out of a different wallet. And I’ll get a rush of nervous anxiety when I use a different Periodic Table.

How did these inanimate objects become so interconnected with my psyche? I guess it’s just, er, chemistry.

I haven’t blogged in a long while. Why? Well, I can never seem to think of anything decent or witty to write about. Often, just thinking of something to say seems like a chore or a burden. My constant writers’ block makes me glad I’m not a journalist. Nonetheless, I don’t want to write a meaningless post, just for the sake of posting something. I’ve read far too many useless blogs or facebook notes that pack no punch.

Education

These aforementioned useless blogs are a result of our country’s education system and its failure to cultivate writing skills. But it’s not just writing and reading. It’s math, science, and ambition in general. I’ve always believed that learning calculus makes one a better person. It really does. You see the world in a different way. You think in increments, not in wholes. You understand processes, purposes, and systems. I dream of the day when every college student is required to take calculus, regardless of their major.

Politics

But beyond this unfathomable [and fairly unrealistic] dream, education is a political issue. And with politics, I think about the presidential primaries. And thinking about the primaries makes me think of Hillary Clinton’s victory speech in New Hampshire, in which she stated, “We’ll be called upon […] to deliver on the promise the government will be of the people, by the people and for the people, not just the privileged few.” Privileged few? Well, hun, if you get elected, government will be in the hands of two families for the last 20 years. And with that you know how I feel about Hillary.

Recent Discoveries

Knitting. I decided that knitting will keep me occupied while I watch my irradiations. I’ve likened watching irradiations to riding an airplane. You can’t really sleep, it’s too hot in the watch room but too cold in the lab, the beeping is as annoying as a screaming child, and the air is dry. But, these irradiations are part of my research, and “watching” an irradiation means that I need to maintain the temperature as constant as possible. When the temperature swings too low or too high, the system will beep. Really, a lot like a long flight.

yelp. Reviews of restaurants, businesses, services, landmarks, and other sites. What fun I’ve had posting my opinions. Check out my yelp sidebar.

Havana Affair by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is my current favorite song. I think the Chili Peppers can only sing about California. But I don’t give them enough credit. Some of their songs don’t even mention the Golden State. And most of their songs are really good.

I had a letter to the editor published in The Rock Hill Herald on Thursday. You can read it here. The article I responded to is here.

For those who may not want to read the whole article, here’s a quick synopsis. With GNEP plans to possibly build a nuclear fuel recycling center in South Carolina, used fuel would be transported to this potential recycling site through the Charlotte/Fort Mill/Rock Hill corridor. Last week, some anti-nukes protested this by parking a mock-up of a fuel transportation cask on I-77. My response basically set the record straight about the safety of the transportation casks and the level of radiation outside the casks.

Why doesn’t everyone take advantage of the opportunities they are given? Some people aren’t even motivated by free food or the possibility of a higher paycheck. I honestly don’t understand why someone wouldn’t want the opportunity to better themselves. Are people really just satisfied with the status quo?

I have seen many people with so much potential who fail to take advantage of opportunities and settle for average. They settle for an average job that doesn’t require specialized skills, an average house that is a carbon copy of their neighbor’s, and an average car that looks just like the one on the opposite side of the intersection.

Something told these people they ought to strive for mediocrity. Something discouraged them from reaching for the stars.

Whatever causes people to stop dreaming causes them to stop trying. Average Joes can have a decent life, a fine family, and a circle of friends, then call themselves happy and successful. But they stopped trying to achieve, and they could have instead had an even better life. Trying is what matters. One can lose all the battles, but persistence wins the war. It is only failure when you stop trying to succeed.

As people, we should not strive for mediocrity, but rather for greatness. We wouldn’t have cars to drive, an established government, or calculus if everyone sought mediocrity.

So the next time you see a flyer for a networking meeting or a professional development workshop, remember the date, time, and location. Attend. Help yourself to free food. Meet people who will help you succeed. Make yourself stand out in the pack. Don’t stop trying, else you’ll cheat yourself into mediocrity.

I know I don’t post on this blog as often as I should and as often as I want to. It’s one of many items on my long list of little things–pesky little things–that don’t take too much effort, but are easily pushed out of the way by a good T.V. show. No matter how organized or I-have-to-do-it-now you are, there’s always that list.

That list includes things like making appointments, repairing a loose hinge, changing the oil in your car, keeping in touch with an old friend. Things that you really really want–and need–to do, yet they somehow escape you.

I hate my list. I wish my list would check itself off.

I try to make excuses for not completing the tasks on my list. But excuses are just that: excuses. They are a sign of irresponsibility and unreliability. I kick myself every time I make an excuse, every time I let lethargy get the best of me, because I know that I am better than that. I know I am dependable.

Nonetheless, I can do better. I am already working on it, as this has made for a decent blog entry. Check.

Home in Tega Cay, that is. Not Hilo.

But I do have the feeling that a huge weight has been lifted–that feeling one gets when they reach out to hug their family after a 12-hour plane ride interspersed with holiday layovers and delays.

The past two weeks have been nonstop and high-pressure at work–the first time I felt this way since I started the job. The end-of-year crunch hit hard. I was worried that I’d need to go in to the office next week [I had been planning on vacation all week], but got my work done in time. Now I have a whole week for enjoying my first Christmas in TC.

Mom, Dad, and Joey—sorry your gifts are arriving late!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I was recently involved with benchmarking the nuclear industry’s recruitment, development, and retention strategies for young professionals. The benchmark involved a survey of young professionals throughout North American nuclear utilties, vendors, consultants, laboratories, regulators, and government agencies.

I was most surprised by work-study (i.e. internship and co-op) program retention rates. Over 50% of the survey respondents participated in these programs (not all respondents are engineers), but only 17% of all respondents are employed by their work-study company. This is a fascinating statistic because most companies have instituted work-study programs essentially as a recruitment tool.

View the survey report here.