[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 60 KB, 400x267, plastic-5.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534486 No.4534486 [Reply] [Original]

I'm 20 and have spent the last year working as a chemist in a plastics factory as an analytical/polymer chemist.

What are your thoughts on this, /sci/? Should I feel concern for contributing to the pollution of our planet or happiness that I'm providing goods which benefit society many times over. I'm confident that biodegradable polymers will become the norm in about fifteen to twenty years, but until then, I'm conflicted.

tl;dr Your thoughts on plastics. I'm willing to any questions you may have about plastics (TPEs to be exact).

>> No.4534498

I wouldn't give a fuck.

I'd like to know tough, how much money do you make right now, and how much will you probably making in a few years?

>> No.4534506

I think there's way too much useless shit made out of plastic. I also think there's a lot of good things made of plastic.

This happens with every material/technology.

>> No.4534517

>>4534498

$20/hr (without a BS, mind you.) After I graduate? No idea. All I know so far is that I'll be salary.

>> No.4534518

As a future physician... thank you for plastic.

>> No.4534520

PLASTICS. Just like in that movie starring Dustin Hoffman.

Plastics can be fine if kept out of the fucking oceans. I also like having some belongings that mold has a tough time wrecking the shit out of.

>> No.4534521

>>4534518

As someone who has rarely had a good experience with premeds, I thank you for your kind words. I hope more more doctors are as respectful as you were just now.

>>4534506

True, I guess. Thanks!

>> No.4534524

>>4534520

You mean The Graduate? I sometimes shudder at how accurate that movie was when it came to that.

>> No.4534525

>>4534517
>No degree
>Calls self chemist
>lol

>> No.4534529

>>4534525

>thinks a degree is the only way to achieve education

not OP

>> No.4534531

Plastics are incredibly useful, easily recyclable, and not terribly difficult to sort, even from existing landfills, and are not significantly environmentally harmful when confined to said landfills. As far as I'm concerned, the "pollution" is not on you, OP. It's on the faggots who can't be bothered to make it to the garbage can.

>> No.4534533

>>4534525

>Calls self chemist

Yea, because I've been working with chemicals for 2+ years now. Also, I probably know more applied chemistry than most BS chemists.

>> No.4534537

>>4534486
You are not a chemist.
To be a chemist you must have a degree in chemistry.

\thread

>> No.4534541
File: 62 KB, 360x270, original.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534541

>>4534533

>> No.4534544

>>4534531

>Easily recyclable

OP here. I'd have to disagree. While most plastics are indeed recyclable, the majority of those will can/cannot be recycled because they are not pure enough. You can easily recycle milk jugs because they are primarily HDPE. However, most plastics consist of so many different constituents that recycling them is not economically feasible.

>> No.4534549
File: 67 KB, 682x450, Tom-Cruise-laughing.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534549

>>4534533
You know a few things about chemistry. You probably know those few things really well, but that doesn't make up for the fact that you only know a very very very very very few things.

Is a meth cook also a chemist? Is a fastfood worker a chef?

>> No.4534550

anything synthetic is shit chemistry.

yes, medicine included. umad?

/thread

>> No.4534551

>>4534549

indeed. Is a chef a chemist?

>> No.4534559

>>4534549

>You probably know those few things really well, but that doesn't make up for the fact that you only know a very very very very very few things.

Do you realize you just described exactly what a PhD is. (Don't misunderstand this to mean that I'm saying I'm as smart as a PhD or anything)

So the only thing a person needs to be a chemist is a chemistry degree?

>> No.4534563

>>4534550

Not really. Most synthetic work nowadays involves using plug-and-chug reactions using known reactions. Nothing too novel.

>> No.4534564

I'm jelly. I'm fighting for a shit minimum wage job and lucky bastards like you get gigs like this. How did you land this job anyway?

>> No.4534566
File: 13 KB, 201x251, 311948_185086288246328_184658378289119_403711_650751146_n.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534566

>>4534486
I buy plastic bottles and burn then for fun. I know what kinda color the fire becomes. I am a chemist too!

>> No.4534571

>>4534551
>>4534549

A meth cook that understands the reactions he/she sets up is infinitely better-suited to be called a chemist than the garbage that's being churned out of today's universities.

>> No.4534580

>>4534564

I worked in a polymer lab 40+ hours a week with no pay. Got experience. Then got the job solely because I had that experience.

I used to work in retail so I know that feel. Fuck school. Get a real education by getting internships (even if they don't pay).

>> No.4534581
File: 333 KB, 472x681, not-laughing-with-you-laughing-at-you.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534581

>>4534571

>> No.4534586
File: 31 KB, 300x375, downeytropicthunder.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534586

>>4534580
Are you trollin? Or just a dumfuck?

>> No.4534590

>>4534581

>make no argument
>post sardonic image
>think you won
>feel superior
>watch-out-we-got-a-badass-over-here.jpg

I'm willing to concede that you're right if you prove me wrong.

>> No.4534601

>>4534581
>>4534586

Do you guys seriously think that all you need is a degree? A piece of paper that says you crammed facts into your head, flushed them out, and repeated for four years?

>> No.4534609
File: 17 KB, 250x172, laugh-at-you.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534609

>>4534590
>works in a lab as intern
>no actual qualifications

You are a lab intern. No one but yourself considers you a fucking chemist. In fact they probably think you are fucking retarded, for not actually knowing chemistry.

>> No.4534614

>>4534586
protip: 1 year of relevant experience is worth more than a 4 year degree

Stage One: Denial.

go right ahead.

>> No.4534616

>>4534609

What "qualification(s)" would you consider to be enough?

>> No.4534613
File: 21 KB, 460x476, 1e979de0-51e7-4ce2-850e-1c71ada880b8.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534613

>>4534601
No, you need multiple degrees and publications to be considered a "chemist". OP is far from a chemist. OP is just some shitty lab tech, who actually doesn't give a shit about chemistry or science.

>> No.4534626

>>4534613

>No, you need multiple degrees and publications to be considered a "chemist"

HAAHAHAHAHAAAAA. I'm sorry, but that's too much. Do you seriously just expect to get a job by saying "Look, I've got a degree. The people I effectively paid-off with thousands of tuition dollars say that I'm qualified so hire me." ?

>> No.4534664
File: 17 KB, 300x224, umad-300x224.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534664

>>4534626
>dumbshit is dumb

\thread

>> No.4534686
File: 209 KB, 1024x768, january_jones_laughing-5103.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534686

>>4534626
>job

Jobs have nothing to do with being a scientist. A scientist is someone who contributes too there particular field of science.

All you talk about "job" just shows how fucking retarded you are. You become a scientist, to learn science, and expand upon known scientific knowledge. It has nothing to do with fucking "jobs". You talk like a dumbass engineers or labtech (which you fucking are).

Saging because your thread is shit. You are not a chemist.

>> No.4534690
File: 348 KB, 451x458, job-soda-pressing.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534690

>>4534664

Enjoy being unemployed or doing this for the rest of your life.

/thread

>> No.4534715
File: 10 KB, 324x278, ngbbs4f1a3eda82fc1.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4534715

>>4534686

MFW OP will do more actual science in one year than chemists will do in four years of canned labs.

>> No.4535767
File: 73 KB, 300x301, consider4asec.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4535767

you have 2 job applicants for your airline company.

1) A pilot who never been to pilot school but has been flying succesfully for 5 years.

2) A pilot who has just graduated from pilot school BUT NEVER FLEW A PLANE!

Now..............

Consider the next set of applicants:

1) Same pilot who never graduated from pilot school but it now successful piloting for 11 years

2) Pilot who graduated from pilot school PLUS 5 years of experience.

Keep extrapolating and you see that number 2 gets more and more valuable every time. I sure want a pilot who knows how to fly a plane and has a proven record but i also want a pilot who knows the plane and how it works from theory and that learns more and more based on the prior technical knowledge while applying practical skills.

Hope that explains the thread.

OP with 2+ years of experience > Recent Graduate with 0xp.
Graduate with 2+ years of xp > OP with 6+ years of xp.

>> No.4535824

>>4534559
>implying PhD students don't have a shitload of underpinning knowledge

>>4534533 Yea, because I've been working with chemicals for 2+ years now.

Apprentice chemical technician detected.

PROTIP: In 10 years you will still be taking orders from the babby graduates with their worthless PhDs.