Aside from the comical content of the story, journalists seem to be somewhat fuzzy regarding what constitutes a “laboratory” and a reaction vessel. Whether it’s a deliberate attempt to dumb-down the audience, journalistic lazyness, or a mixture of both is unclear.
A few weeks ago, there was a story about an elderly woman who had served as a radio operator many years ago. The journalist reported that the woman had received messages in Morris Code.
Ignorance and Laziness. That's what J-School teaches 'em.
A “ lab” is simply a 2 liter bottle..