Et Tu Michael? The Beryllium Betrayal

Beryllium Jwst Laboratory Safety Risk Telescope

Astronomy Physics Science Materials Engineering

1 year ago 63,007 views 0 shares

Et Tu Michael? The Beryllium Betrayal

beryllium-memes, jwst-memes, laboratory-memes, safety-memes, astronomy-memes | ScienceHumor.io

The ultimate scientific sacrifice play! Top panel shows a lab technician risking berylliosis (a nasty lung disease caused by beryllium dust inhalation) just to watch a metal ball oscillate at kilohertz frequencies. Meanwhile, bottom panel features James Webb Space Telescope engineer Michael Menzel who used beryllium for the telescope's mirrors—potentially exposing the team to the same health risks, but for arguably more noble reasons: creating humanity's most powerful eye into the cosmos. The perfect encapsulation of risk assessment in science—is your experiment worth potential lung damage? For JWST, history will say yes. For watching a bouncy ball? Maybe reconsider your experimental priorities!

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