March 11, 2016 at 11:54PM

Today I Learned: 1) You know that thing that people used to do where you send messages to someone encoded in different species of flower in a bouquet or similar arrangement? Today I learned that that's called "floragraphy", and it can get quite specific (but I won't). 2) Tin foil over the end of a tube is not sufficient to keep that tube sterile. Better keep it in ethanol next time. 3) Magnets make everything better. Well, maybe not everything, but they *are* an awesome thing to add to small lab equipment that you want easy access to. Consider, for example, your favorite pen. Tape a strong little magnet to this pen, and you can stick it to anything metal! (fume hoods are particularly convenient) If you want to be able to stick it to anything else, then just tape a metal razor to that thing, being sure to cover the whole razor so it's safe. (incidentally, magnets are also a convenient way to store razors, if not the safest. I think I still prefer tape-pockets for razor storage).