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While Bell Labs did do some laboratory science (where they developed the transistor among other things), the majority of researchers there were mathematicians a
by jhbadger 9y ago
While Bell Labs did do some laboratory science (where they developed the transistor among other things), the majority of researchers there were mathematicians and computer scientists who don't work in a lab.
- jrimbault 9y ago<Nitpicking etymology> A laboratory is the place where you work. From the latin 'laborare', roughly translated 'to work'. A CS grad student would work in a lab. As would a carpenter. The difference between an office and a laboratory is usually that there are specialized tools in a laboratory.
- neaden 9y agoThe origin of words don't dictate their present meaning. No one refers to a regular office or a carpentry studio as a laboratory anymore.
- walshemj 9y agonot sure what your point is certainly BT's eqvielent at martelsham was now for its style of dress we even had an internal slang term the "martelman" to describe them :-)
- jhbadger 9y agoI was replying to the person that that was saying that their idea of lab dress was a lab coat and jeans -- a different sort of lab than what most of what Bell Labs was about.