Posted on 09/08/2003 1:41:43 AM PDT by miltonim
SCIENTISTS are looking for Britain's most stomach-churning unwashed coffee mug in a contest to mark the discovery of penicillin 75 years ago today.
The Royal Society of Chemistry is searching for the most spectacular growth of gunge to be found in a forgotten mug at work.
Although coffee cup cultures are often green, any disgusting colour is allowed.
Staff in offices, factories and other workplaces are being asked to submit photos – but not to have the rank mugs delivered.
To qualify, the mould floating on the top of the left over coffee must be clearly discernible.
The most impressive entry will win an evening of "culture" at a location near the sender's address.
Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin at St Mary's Hospital in London on September 3, 1928, after leaving a dish in his laboratory while he went on holiday.
The mould that had grown in the dish paved the way to the antibiotics revolution which has saved millions of lives around the world.
Royal Society of Chemistry spokesman James McNish said: "The culture that developed on Fleming's laboratory dish has much in common with those ageing, ownerless coffee cups languishing on shelves and workstations in British offices and factories. Mould spores float through the air and are always on the lookout for a favourite place to grow.
"The competition is a way of illustrating the point that science sometimes involves some luck and happenstance.
"We do not recommend that people leave filthy coffee cups near their computers for weeks, or even near lab equipment. Safety and cleanliness is generally the far better route to good results.
"The penicillin story is a rare example of progress through messiness."
Just in case anyone is tempted to cheat by patiently waiting for their coffee mug to bloom, the closing date is September 10.
You gotta let it ferment for a long time to get green. The white, furry-looking stuff is much more common.
Recipe for cowboy coffee:
1 gallon of water
5 lbs of coffee
boil over open fire for 1 hour
toss in horseshoe -- if it sinks, add more coffee.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.