Who, Me? Content New Yr, light readers, and welcome at the time once again to Who, Me? – The Reg’s regular roundup of rapscallions and rascals committing tech atrocities and (often) getting absent with it. This week it can be received a sci-fi twist simply because the disaster in issue consists of lasers.
The story comes to use from a reader we are going to Regomize as “Buck” who educated as a physicist specializing in lasers. In the 1990s he landed a position in Germany, as an R&D engineer for a corporation that created the light-weight-emitting gadgets.
On the event at the heart of our tale, Buck was getting ready an ultraviolet (UV) laser prototype for a Japanese chipmaker that experienced sent staff all the way to Germany for a demonstration and “acceptance tests”.
“For this acceptance test,” Buck writes, “I experienced set up a big optical bench, about 3m x 2m, total of sensors, lenses, mirrors and all the stuff you will need. In front of it was the new and shiny laser alone, 1m x 2m and 1.8m tall. Everything was quite impressive searching – a great deal of optics, sensors, spectrometers, a lot of cables and PCs.”
He tells us it was all “quite specialized, extremely scientific, very high priced.”
At this point, pricey reader, we must remind you that this was a UV laser and that the human eye can not see the wavelengths these kinds of lasers use.
Buck also pointed out that you don’t want to go wanting for a UV laser – they can do nasty factors to the eyes.
So the trick is to use yellow-tinted basic safety goggles. Even then, of study course, a UV laser is only scarcely obvious as a spot of luminescence when it hits a mirror or lens. Buck talked about that you could also examination for the existence of the laser by placing a little bit of paper in its route – “but only if you use low laser electric power so you do not incinerate the paper immediately.”
This seriously appears like exciting that is in no way hazardous or dangerous.
In purchase to make those little places of light-weight a lot easier to see, the demo required to be run in in the vicinity of-complete darkness. The trouble was that in this distinct lab, the ceiling experienced two huge windows, which fashioned component of the fire-security technique. In the function of a lab fire they would swing open and permit smoke to escape.
Wonderful for basic safety, terrible for darkness.
So a few of Buck’s colleagues climbed onto the roof and placed sheets of black plastic around the windows, weighted down with bricks. Already you can see the trouble, are not able to you?
With the lab darkened and tinted goggles donned (earning it even darker), Buck proceeded with the demo. The large laser hummed to lifestyle and set about lasering though the customer reps checked it over.
Seeking to focus on a thing without acquiring to shout over the sound of the laser, Buck and a colleague very carefully backed absent in the darkness until eventually they located a wall.
Whereupon the colleague’s elbow identified the fire alarm.
Ability was quickly reduce, the laser wound down and, for a instant, there was silence in the darkness. Then there had been loud sirens, purple and yellow flashing lights and gasoline and drinking water hearth suppression devices. Quite the scene.
Then, as the drinking water and fuel stopped with a hiss, Buck turned informed of a loud banging from over. The smoke launch home windows have been having difficulties to fulfil their perform. Seeking and trying all over again to swing open and launch the non-existent smoke from the lab.
At some point they succeeded – flooding the lab with light, as properly as rain water that experienced accrued in the plastic sheets. The Japanese purchaser reps had been identified huddled less than the exam table, their a long time of earthquake coaching possessing kicked in the second all hell broke loose.
This was not, Buck explained, quite the “impress the customer, shut the offer, rating a giant reward” demo Buck hoped to deliver.
Fortunately most (not all) of the lab equipment survived the ordeal. Buck does not notify us whether or not the prospects approved their laser prototype or not, but we have to presume they had been at least amazed with the fire basic safety process.
Talking of which, the boss was not at all amazed with the plastic-sheet kludge. A several months later, the lab reopened with right blinds, unexpected emergency lights … and an illuminated hearth alarm button.
Have you ever terrified a prospective purchaser with a demo gone crazily completely wrong? Inform us all about it in an electronic mail to Who, Me? and we’ll share your story – names modified to safeguard the innocent (ish), of training course.
