31 of the Wildest Mistakes Made in Science Labs

Most levelheaded, non-scientist folks that find themselves in a lab probably tuck their arms in and move as little as possible, like someone trying to navigate the aisles of a particularly expensive vintage store. No one, save those who serve as plot devices in pandemic movies, are fucking around with mysterious beakers. We just assume everything is acid or a bottle of black plague and try not to breathe too deeply.

But if you’re one of the actual scientists who works there, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty, which involves some obvious, inherent risk. You’re well-trained in how to do so safely, of course, but a trained human is still a human, and humans make mistakes. Everybody messes up their job sometimes, but it’s a lot less stressful when you’re moving milk jugs at the grocery store and not corrosive acids. 

Over on Reddit, lab workers shared some of the biggest beef-ups they’ve ever seen at work, and the best are below.