new thread
Today in my physics lab we did an expariment that investigated diffraction/interference patterns that different types of slits had on human hair. Our lab manual instructed us to do this expariment with two types of hair (straight and curly) for each of the four configurations. Being in a class in which short-haired males dominate and the only three females all have straight hair, everyone turned to me for the curly part. (Why my school cannot provide things such as hair for an expariment is a whole different issue). Thinking to myself about 25 students time 4 expariments each with the big ugly scissors on the lab tables, there is no way. Loosing that much hair from all over the head is one thing (sure, only a few days extra loss), but having a lock chopped off (which is probably what would have happened) is not something I'm willing to give up for a trivial freshman lab.
So the lab professor (65 year old ex-navy vet.) sure let me hear it and I don't think I made the class respect me very much. We did manage to get hair from a female professor in the building, though.
Now I can't get this incident out of my mind and I'm starting to regret what I did, yet still wish to stand by my decision.
Did I do the right thing? What would you have done in my shoes?
I'd have done exactly what you did. Only in my case, I'd have also thrown in a few good verbal jabs to my prof and anyone else to make it clear why they didn't get any of my hair.
It was certainly within their right to ask you to donate some of your hair. However, it is also within your right to refuse. Removing a couple hairs would certainly be no problem and would be a reasonable thing for your experiment. But you cannot be expected to be a "hair donor" just because you have long hair. Unfortunately, the professor is in the wrong about this.
My suggestion is to go to him privately (to show your respect to him as the professor) and let him know that your were offended and that it was not your responsibility to donate the hair. He knew this experiment was coming up and he clearly noticed that there was a paucity of curly long-haired people and so the responsibility was on HIM to prepare ahead. He, for instance, could have asked you a week prior to save the hair that falls out naturally. That would be 100 strands/day. You have the opportunity to turn this into a win-win situation if you choose to handle it in a mature fashion. I have faith that you will.
Let us know what happens.
ToddB
...agree. In addition to knowing in advance, wouldn't he realize that it would be an uncomfortable situation for you? Not only was your teacher wrong for not planning in advance, it was also disrespectful to place you in such a position. You did the right thing. You have nothing to worry about.
I would have said no and posssibly threatened people! I am 6ft 215lbs and quite muscular!
Don't LET THEM MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY!
That's what they want. They were making too many assumptions.
Do not FEEL GUILTY! I would have done the same thing...and maybe MORE!
I woulda ran outa there like somone was attacking me with scissors. Oh wait, they were after you with scissors. So, why do you think you did something wrong again? Think about it.
You did the right thing. Way back when, there was a product being developed at a biotech company I was working at and one of the validation tests invovled screening for a human antigen present in 50% of caucasian males.....using hair follicles. Well, as luck would have it, I not only tested positive for the antigen, but it was in extreme abundance. So my hair follicles became very popular...so much so that I had to set limits or risk loosing all of my hair. It pissed people off to not have a ready source available but I was well within my rights to refuse to "give at the office." Eventually other guys in the lab were able to act as source material and everything went fine. It's just that most of the guys were begining or had advanced male pattern baldness and really didn't want to part with their hair. So, tell your classmates and lab proctor that their guilt trip is limited to two items of carry-on baggage...and they've already exceeded the limit. Just my 0.02 cents.
I would say collective experiment in which all participate as A team. One hair or two at the most. All work for a common goal and all share in the rewards of whatever you were all trying to accomplish. I mean if you all do the experiment the same way, there should be same results. Ergo, you do not need to be scalped for science (or your country since you do not claim to be in the navy yourself).
Considered the Lab Tech and IDIOT and over my dead body allowed 1 hair from my head to ne snipped!
I think you did the right thing, after all, it is your hair. I probably would have done this. I would have gently run my fingers through my hair to find about 10 loose shed strands. Your hair is at least 15 inches long. That is 150 inches of shed hair which you would not have to cut from your head. If cut into 1 inch pieces you would have 150 samples which is more than enough, all cut from hair you have already lost anyway. Absalom
Let a male with sissors come with in twenty miles of my mane, I think not darling. I'd have run fast and far. You had every right not to let them have a lock of your hair, a strand I could see, but a lock. No way.
Abso-@#$%-lutely, you did the right thing! I would've done the same!