Progress..and Creepiness

The iris scanner has been fixed. It will now rotate to my height and to make this whole thing even more science fiction -sih, the head of security explained that the scanner will now remember my height and adjust automatically for me. Welcome to the future my friends.

In a creepier but related story, as I was waiting for the head of security some guy came out from a nearby door and asked me if I was waiting to use the irradiator. I told him I was waiting for security to show me the iris scanner. He sighed and said "too bad, I've always wanted to see the irradiator. I wonder how big it is". And of course after writing that last post I'm all ready pondering hte reasons for enhanced security and the first thing that pops into my head is  "This could be a crazy terrorist! Who the heck wants to see an irradiator". But seeing as how security was all ready on it's way I decided not to worry.

Welcome to the Nuthouse

I sometimes feel like I work on a spaceship straight out of Star Trek. Seriously. We have all sorts of technology that use to seem like something that would not appear until the year 2230 and would never be found in a regular workplace. Today I got to use our brand new iris scanners. These scanners are granted to all people who need access to the facilities irradiators. These irradiators are giant machines with huge lead walls that contain a small source of radiation within them that we use to use kill off suceptible cells or to cause tumors and other damage to experimental tissues. They are also strictly guarded and protected. To get access to these irradiators I had to get a federal background check, submit my fingerprints to the FBI and sign a waiver allowing a private firm to do a background check as well. Some people who are immigrants to this country or are here doing postdocs on work visas have to wait close to half a year. My USA born self had to wait about two months. And that was considered an expedited process.

All this is to protect our irradiators from being beoken into, as the source of radiation is obviosuly quite dangerous. Homeland security has gotten involved and made the process of gaining access even harder. All this has really raised my respect level for the craftiness of terorists. Because if they can figure out how to remove the source of radiation from the lead and metal behemoth mahcinges, without injuring themselves or getting radiation burns and sneak it out of the building to a populated area before unleashing it then they are very clever. And patient. I wouldn't have the patience or the wherewithall to think up and plan such a devious and complicated plot.

To further foil these terrorists we have added another layer of security. An iris scan. All well and good. I could see someonebody easily stealing my ID but my eyeballs (and I believe two eyeballs are needed to be at the exact right distance from each other) would be a lot tougher. So I am all in support of this system. However I am not in support of the iris scanner being placed at the height of the average male.

I get that many researchers are male. While the medical field may be edging close to 50-50 the PhD and MD-PhD fields still favor men and when you start looking at senior staff and department heads even the medical field is sorely lacking in women. I believe these men are all great researchers that do a phenomenal job of patient care and moving science forward. I have nothing against them. But today as I tried hopping around, balancing myself on top of a cart that I was supposed to be using to transport items that I was irradiating, I couldn't help but resent all these men for being so gosh darned tall. When I finally balanced myself high enough I was able to get on with my day, but seriously, what an idiotic way to waste ten minutes.