Lab Work

A typical lab desk?

Today while visiting the set of Re-Genesis I wondered what it would be like to work in a lab. Would it be a sterile environment like the ones depicted in the Andromeda Strain, James Bond (specifically Moonraker), or the Island? Where everything is white and sterile? Or would it be more like Doc's lab in back to the future, the crazy mess with junk (mostly random wires) all over the place?

On set, on one of the characters desks, I noticed a dehydrator. See the box like thing on the left of the picture. Not knowing what exactly it would be used for in a real lab I wondered how a real lab tech would use it. To do what? Would they use it only for work? Perhaps use it for other non-work related functions. Such as make beef jerky, or any dried preserved fruits, a sea weed crisper, or take the extra water out of a camera body that was exposed to humidity.

Favorite lab movie... Real Genius. Although not really in a lab it's the crazy experiments done to entertian oneself to fight the bordom of going through university that gives this movie a bagelhot rating of full bagel.