Editing 2514: Lab Equipment

{{comic
| number    = 2514
| date      = September 10, 2021
| title     = Lab Equipment
| image     = lab_equipment.png
| titletext = I've been working on chocolate bar annealing techniques to try to produce the perfect laser s'more. Maybe don't mention that on the grant application though.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LASER TOASTED MARSHMALLOW - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic claims that in every science lab, there exist some piece of equipment that sticks around less for being useful, and more because the scientists and technicians just think the device is really cool.

The comic presents a laser technician lab. While giving a tour [[Ponytail]] shows a spectrometer &mdash; a device that examines light emitted from or through samples, this one might be a mass spectrometer which works by firing lasers at the sample to convert it into ions. Next she shows the "Nd:YAG" laser. "Nd:YAG" stands for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nd:YAG_laser neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet]; it is a lasing medium commonly used in lasers. Lastly she shows off a decommissioned laser not used in experiments, but rather for toasting marshmallows.  Misuse of expensive, high-end equipment for heating junk food can lead to important breakthroughs.  For example, the microwave oven was invented when someone working on microwave radar accidentally melted a candy bar.

Contrariwise, laser etching and cutting is commonly available in hackerspaces or makerspaces, and toasted marshmallows can be made with high-definition shapes and textures, although a normal laser cutter may introduce toxic compounds to the food.  Food products have also been fed through 3d printers in place of plastic filament, and the printer will heat and plot them into arbitrarily shaped volumes.  Engineering research labs will also have some of these tools, but for chemical labs they could be a rare delight.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:Ponytail: The spectrometer is over here, the Nd:YAG lasers are over here,
:Ponytail: and in the corner is a laser that turned out not to be useful for us, but we keep it because it's fun to toast marshmallows with it.

:[Caption below the panel]
:Every lab in every field has some piece of equipment like this.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Food]]