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"Breaking Bad" At the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Posted by samzenpus on from the walter-white-approved dept.

sciencehabit writes: Police are investigating whether an explosion inside a Maryland federal laboratory was the result of an effort to make drugs. Authorities who responded to the explosion at the National Institute of Standards and Technology found pseudoephedrine, Epsom salt and other materials associated with the manufacture of meth. Federal and local law enforcement agencies are investigating the cause of the explosion and if a security guard injured in the blast might have been involved. Sciencemag reports: "Representative Lamar Smith (R–TX), chairman at the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, got involved today, expressing grave concern over the incident in a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. NIST is part of the Commerce Department. 'I am troubled by the allegations that such dangerous and illicit activity went undetected at a federal research facility. It is essential that we determine exactly where the breakdown in protocol occurred and whether similar activities could be ongoing at other federal facilities,' wrote Smith in an accompanying press release. He has requested a briefing with NIST no later than 29 July."

8 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting... by lq_x_pl · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess that's one way to take care of the Federal Deficit.

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    An internal system operation returned the error "The operation completed successfully.".
  2. Wrong! by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Spokesman for NIST, when announcing it right after coming from a dentist appointment, and his mouth was numb, said "The asplosion made a real meth of the place"

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    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  3. Meth Hype is Common: by Hartree · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Take things with a grain of salt. Many of these "high tech meth lab" cases are someone using a couple of soda bottles and plastic straws to make meth with ingredients they bought at Walmart.

    It may have been a random building worker doing this. If it were one of the scientists, I'd be surprised they'd be using drain cleaner as the sodium hydroxide rather than just getting some out of the lab. It's one of the most common lab chemicals.

    1. Re:Meth Hype is Common: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They suspect that a guard (injured in the explosion) was cooking it. The attempt in the title to link scientist working at NIST to the meth production is misleading. First thing I thought when reading it was "This meth must have been hitting and exceeding the specs". Then i start reading about pseudoephedrine, drain cleaner and Epsom salt... Well this is not how Walter White would have done it, is it?

  4. NIST? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    They were probably just making a reference sample.

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    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  5. Re:Heisenberg by plopez · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or anyone with huge medical bills.

    Old joke: Q: have you heard of the British version of Breaking Bad? A man finds out he has cancer and gets 5 years of free excellent health care.

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    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  6. Re:I am shocked! by mi · · Score: 4, Funny

    What the hell are you doing on slashdot?

    Reading the articles, baby.

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    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  7. Re:I am shocked! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Watching porn is not dangerous nor illicit activity.

    Then you're doing it wrong.

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    You are welcome on my lawn.