Beep!

[beige_alert]

I was at the grocery store yesterday, and as each cash register beeped as each item was scanned, I briefly wondered if it was annoying to work in a place filled with beeping machines, until I remember that I work in a place filled with beeping machines. My protein sequencer beeps all the time, while also making clicking noises and the occasional (every 66 minutes) whooshing sounds from the pneumatic HPLC injection valve. We also have four rough vacuum pumps and three somewhat screechy turbomolecular vacuum pumps. The two little turbos in the MALDI-TOF turn at 76,000 RPM, the larger-diameter one in the new LTQ at 48,000 RPM, and, you know, you’ve got to be impressed when you think about that. We also have what seems like roughly 11,000 cooling fans of the familiar variety. So it is a little annoying, but you get used to it.

Comments

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

White noise doesn't bother me. I remember how the fan noise in the PLATO machine room was loud enough that a lot of the people complained a lot about having to work in there and some who spent a lot of time there wore ear protection. I just didn't understand what they were complaining about.

On the other hand, beeping drives me nuts.