Practical Jokes

My lab seems to be fond of playing practical jokes on one another. Nothing hazardous or bad since this is a laboratory after all. But more the type of practical jokes that play with your mind more than anything. Stuff like making you think you have a presentation to prepare for when you don't.

Anyhow, one practical joke that seems to surface from time to time is doing something with a person's email account if it has been accidentally left open. For example, one of our project scientists left his email account open. Another project scientist went into his account and emailed the entire research institute that he needed BamH1. Now keep in mind that BamH1 is an extremely common restriction enzyme, so a great many people in the research institute kept coming by and trying give the scientist (the one with the email account left open) BamH1. The guy had no idea why all these people kept coming by and saying that they have BamH1 to give him. Of course, later, he figure it all out, but by then, the damage was done and apparently our lab became "grand central station" for BamH1.

Now, it turns out that I left my email account open last night. Yes, someone did get into and "leave evidence" that he was in my account.

So, now, it looks like I will be added to the stories of what happens to people in the lab when they leave their email accounts open.