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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Open plan research buildings
Date: Monday, March 3, 2014 12:16:02 PM
Author: Vincent Duffy <duffy**At_Symbol_Here**PURDUE.EDU> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Open plan research buildings
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2014 12:59:28 -0500
Author: Vincent Duffy

From: Alan Hall <ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Open plan research buildings
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2014 10:42:53 -0700
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: CAHFAP+4DA-o84LNOo6QH+=3UzBzDOkADqnC3TcW+WusEFjx4=g**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To <58F9AEFD-2A2E-4A5C-8D79-323BD50F06BA**At_Symbol_Here**purdue.edu>


All,

I'm rather in favor of the late, great Robert A. Heinlein's (he was a naval gunnery officer and an engineer) character Dr. Jubal Harshaw who was both a physician and a lawyer and who noted in Stranger in a Strange Land that the only thing a GROUP had ever invented was bookkeeping. Great scientific developments, no matter how large the research group (consider the Manhattan Project), have always depended on the thinking of individuals. So the engineering and IH and Occ/Environ Med concerns of "open" labs may simply make more difficult the individual breakthrough with the "Eureka"; I Have Found It -- Oceanic Moment" kind of thinking that all great scientific discoveries have had to have.

Plus the preparation. Fleming once remarked rather caustically that "the mold did not just stand up and say: "I make penicillin." There had to be much individual hard work for it to be able to do so. Anyone ever seen a great painting or sculpture conceived by a GROUP?

2 cents and cheap at the price. In euros, I don't think they make coins that small any more.

Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medical Toxicologist and Old Curmudgeon
ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com


On Mon, Mar 3, 2014 at 10:16 AM, Vincent Duffy <duffy**At_Symbol_Here**purdue.edu> wrote:
Wow! This is great timing for that discussion with some building renovations in planning stages at Purdue at this time. Thanks for suggesting this.
Best regards,
Vincent Duffy

Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 21, 2014, at 7:27, "Ralph B. Stuart" <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**CORNELL.EDU> wrote:
>
> I noticed while scanning this morning's C&EN headlines this notice:
> Are you in favor of the trend for open plan research buildings? Do they make for more collaboration and better science? Or are they noisy, distracting and stressful places to work? At C&EN we'd like to hear your opinion for an upcoming article. If you would like to participate please email Senior Editor Alex Scott at a_scott**At_Symbol_Here**acs.org.
>
> I thought that DCHAS members might have some interesting thoughts on the matter and want to contact Alex...
>
> - Ralph
>
>
> Ralph Stuart CIH
> Chemical Hygiene Officer
> Department of Environmental Health and Safety
> Cornell University
>
> rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**cornell.edu

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