The Runaway Cubitainer Experiment
Setting:  Toolik Lake, Alaska.  Summer 1999.
 
Characters: J.O. Sickman (playing himself) 
E Gwynn (playing herself) 
S. MacIntyre, L. Moosmann, and S. Goldthwait (heroes of the day) 
Prologue:  Our ambitious researchers (Jim and Erica) convinced our highly practical PI (Sally) that nutrient enrichment experiments were an essential part of any lake system research.  Having had previous experience with unpredictable cubitainers Sally cautioned the younger members of her team, but in the end conceded with the proviso that she be on hand, if anything got out of hand.  With that, preparations were made for the next day's events.
 
Erica: "This is gonna be great!  Don't worry Sally, Jim and have got it under control.  The first thing we need is that cubitainer; you know the huge blue cooler that will hold 2 cases of beer, I mean flasks.  Second,.. hey Jim where did you put that ten gallon jug of C14?  We're gonna need at least that much to keep track of how fast theses suckers [phytos] are multiplyin'."
 
Jim: Yep, I've got the C14 right here!  With that huge cubitainer, and a bit of luck, we'll be able to sample 5 times a day at 5 depths, with 5 light regimes, and 5 phytoplankton species.  That makes only 625 samples to analyze every night!  
NO PROBLEM, everything's gonna be slick as a whistle.
  
Jim: Ok, pass me that hose, those two pumps, the duct tape.. both rolls, the fish net, the WD-40, two lifejackets, the Operators' Manual for this boat, and the toilet paper. 
... some minutes later...
 
Jim: Ummm, Erica, what's missing from this picture? 
 
 
 
 
  
Hey, our *$@&%! experiment's floating away! 

Jim: Erica, I thought you were keeping an eye on the cooler! 

Erica: I thought you were!
  
Erica: How could this happen?  We planned, we discussed, we cogitated.. where did we go wrong?  
  
 Fortunately, Sally Lorenz and Sarah were a safe distance away, prepared for just such an occurrence.  Perceiving, by the upside down cooler, that something was awry, our heroes sped in and headed off the cooler (cubitainer) as it tried to make its escape.  The moral of this story, if there is one, is keep an eye on your cooler; they always walk away, especially if they have beer in them!
 
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