4 ms·

Is this about chemists (US), or chemists (UK)? The two are entirely different professions with very little in common.

by shiroiushi 3y ago

HPsquared 3y ago
Pretty sure chemistry researchers in the UK are also called chemists.
- shiroiushi 3y ago
  So are the people you go to to fill your prescriptions.
  - _Wintermute 3y ago
    Colloquially, I would say the shop is called a chemists, but the person working there is a pharmacist.
    - shiroiushi 3y ago
      I haven't actually lived in the UK, but from what I've read, the person working there is called a "chemist". However, that's (finally) changing and they're being called a "pharmacist" more and more. Apparently, the whole thing comes from a century or more ago when you'd go to this "chemist" shop to get anything related to chemicals, whether it was drugs, arsenic (to kill rats, or perhaps your spouse), developing chemicals for your camera film, or petrol for your motorcar. Like so many things, the British simply refused to change when newer, more modern ways came along, and they kept calling this place and person "chemist" even though the person had a degree in Pharmacology. Maybe one of these days, after they finally all call this place a "pharmacy", the UK will finally have sink faucets which actually mix hot and cold water like every other country on the planet, instead of having separate hot and cold ones.
      - surfingdino 3y ago
        Dear sir, I live in London and I can assure you that we do have mixing taps. We keep installing separate ones for the amusement of the foreigners looking for the remnants of the British Empire.
        shiroiushi 3y ago
        In all seriousness, maybe this is some online meme or something, but I have read British people online defend the separate taps: something about the hot water being non-potable or something. Maybe it's only in older buildings?
        surfingdino 3y ago
        It's a made-up media story. In the old days cold water came from the mains and hot water came from a storage tank in the loft where it could be contaminated and for that reason hot water was considered unsafe for drinking. Another reason was difference in pressure which could force water coming from one source into another.
        HPsquared 3y ago
        UK building regulations being extra cautious. Like the fused power plugs.
        surfingdino 3y ago
        The best power plugs in the world, sir.
        shiroiushi 3y ago
        I hope you're joking, because they're really not (partially because of their ridiculous size, but mostly because of the dumb fuses). The best power plugs are the (northern) European "schuko" plugs, although they're still a compromise. The idea of having separate fuses in each plug is ridiculous; any decent modern electrical system uses circuit breakers at a central point to protect whole circuits from overcurrent conditions.

Is this about chemists (US), or chemists (UK)? The two are entirely different professions with very little in common.

HPsquared 3y ago

Pretty sure chemistry researchers in the UK are also called chemists.

shiroiushi 3y ago
So are the people you go to to fill your prescriptions.
- _Wintermute 3y ago
  Colloquially, I would say the shop is called a chemists, but the person working there is a pharmacist.
  - shiroiushi 3y ago
    I haven't actually lived in the UK, but from what I've read, the person working there is called a "chemist". However, that's (finally) changing and they're being called a "pharmacist" more and more. Apparently, the whole thing comes from a century or more ago when you'd go to this "chemist" shop to get anything related to chemicals, whether it was drugs, arsenic (to kill rats, or perhaps your spouse), developing chemicals for your camera film, or petrol for your motorcar. Like so many things, the British simply refused to change when newer, more modern ways came along, and they kept calling this place and person "chemist" even though the person had a degree in Pharmacology. Maybe one of these days, after they finally all call this place a "pharmacy", the UK will finally have sink faucets which actually mix hot and cold water like every other country on the planet, instead of having separate hot and cold ones.
    - surfingdino 3y ago
      Dear sir, I live in London and I can assure you that we do have mixing taps. We keep installing separate ones for the amusement of the foreigners looking for the remnants of the British Empire.
      - shiroiushi 3y ago
        In all seriousness, maybe this is some online meme or something, but I have read British people online defend the separate taps: something about the hot water being non-potable or something. Maybe it's only in older buildings?
        surfingdino 3y ago
        It's a made-up media story. In the old days cold water came from the mains and hot water came from a storage tank in the loft where it could be contaminated and for that reason hot water was considered unsafe for drinking. Another reason was difference in pressure which could force water coming from one source into another.
        HPsquared 3y ago
        UK building regulations being extra cautious. Like the fused power plugs.
        surfingdino 3y ago
        The best power plugs in the world, sir.
        shiroiushi 3y ago
        I hope you're joking, because they're really not (partially because of their ridiculous size, but mostly because of the dumb fuses). The best power plugs are the (northern) European "schuko" plugs, although they're still a compromise. The idea of having separate fuses in each plug is ridiculous; any decent modern electrical system uses circuit breakers at a central point to protect whole circuits from overcurrent conditions.