A Collage of Mad Science in Old Photos

I used to have a near photographic memory. Not so much anymore over here in old hagville, but I still retain all sorts of random stuff from back when all my neurons were new. And I have an innate affinity for science, although the more numbers and formulas, the less it sticks.

So years and years and years ago, back when all my knees worked and there were no tumors or asthma, I read you could test how much dust was in the air with a plate and vaseline. Some kind of home science experiment thing. I remember thinking, huh, yeah that would show you kind of what's floating in the air.

And I thought nothing more of it.

For literal decades.

Well, a millenia later with this machine pissing me off, it all came back and I thought...how about I check and see if there are particulates or not? If there's really anything flecking, it'll show up on a white plate with vaseline.

Why yes, I am that brand of insane. But you know, it would work. Roughly.

I did my best to set up a good test. Obviously I am not running a professional lab so I can't rule out some kind of error on my end. I did two set ups...improving upon my first in an effort to keep out contamination and let the machine run for several hours.

And yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus stuff flecking out of the hose. Like, for real, real.

Well, FML.

AND you know how I said there's no odor? There is. It's not strong so I'm not sure if it was a problem or not. If it's got VOCs in it, it's probably part of the issue, but I have no way to know.

I either have a faulty unit or there's a bigger problem here. Hopefully the fact there are so few complaints means it's just my unit.