Rocket Science

Sometimes, I look at my job and just marvel.  How many other people have jobs like this?

Here's the setup:
My arms are covered in oil from my shoulders down.  My lab partner has a paper towel to his head to help stop the bleeding after bumping into the sharp edge from our lab.  We're discussing our professor's recent suggestion to getting access to the broken vacuum pump: demolish the wall.

Here's the conversation:
Lab person: We're going to be running a few tests on our shock tube.  We just wanted to warn you.  You'll hear two short beeps and then a long beep and then a boom.
Me: A boom?
Lab person: Yes, we would appreciate if you could rate the boom on a scale from 1 to 10.
Me: Does it matter where we are?
Lab person: Anywhere is fine.
Lab partner: Erin, you stay here.  I'm going up to our office then which is closer to the test.
Me: You have a bleeding head! Are you sure this is safe?
Lab partner: Anything for science.

Result:
Me sitting in our lab alone waiting for the beeps and the boom, and anticipating the worst.


(Don't worry - the boom was less scary than the waiting for the boom.  My lab partner rated the boom as a 2 from the office.  I rated it as a 1 from the lab.)