Day in the life of a scientist:  So the 'ole lab has always bought and received the big green tanks of 95% Oxygen/5% Carbon Dioxide (carbogen) that we use so much of.  For over 20 years they have come whenever we ordered them.  So yesterday, they deliver a red tank of carbogen.  It's not that it's red that gets our scientist dander  up, it's the fact that the tanks have a different fitting that doesn't fit our regulators.  So we say to the gas man.  We'd rather have the green tanks like usual!   "No can do!" says the gas man.  "You'll have to clear it with  my supervisor".

"You can get new regulators!" suggests the supervisor.  "The gas in the red tank is exactly the same as the gas in the green tanks".   But we don't want that because our old regulators have specialized outlet fittings that mate onto the rather complicated carbogen delivery tubing system in the lab, and the new regulators will not have that.  We just want the same old green tanks we've been receiving for over 20 years.

Well, it TURNS OUT (!) that you need a PRESCRIPTION for the green tanks.  The green tanks are MEDICAL carbogen, while the red tanks are SCIENTIFIC carbogen.  Medical and scientific carbogen are exactly the same (except for the color of the tanks and the fitting).   But you don't need a prescription for scientific carbogen.  So OK, I know lots of medical doctors.  I'll get a prescription that they can keep on file, right?  Wrong.  I'd need a freaking prescription every time I order the stuff.   Of course, the Fire Marshall won't let us keep more than 4 tanks in stock, so we have to order it every couple of weeks!

I know I'm defeated.  But I least want to know what happened.  Why between my last order a couple weeks ago and now, do I now need a prescription?  Is it part of dastardly Obama-care perhaps?   No, the gas supervisor assures me.  "You've needed a prescription for medical carbogen since the year 2000."  So why then, suddenly, 11 years later, are you just now refusing to deliver without this prescription?  No answer yet.  Except that I'm told I'd better order those new regulators before the last of the last green tank runs out.

Science marches on.