--- title: "Janitor Attempts to Turn Off Beeping Noise, Destroys Decades of Scientific Research" description: "In an apparent attempt to turn off a beeping noise, a janitor turned off the breaker to a freezer that contained extremely valuable research." date: "2023-06-26" modified: "2023-06-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/janitor-beeping-noise-destroys-research" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cleaning" - "solar panels" - "the digest" --- # Janitor Attempts to Turn Off Beeping Noise, Destroys Decades of Scientific Research ![In an apparent attempt to turn off a beeping noise, a janitor turned off the breaker to a freezer that contained extremely valuable research.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Beep! Beep! In an apparent attempt to turn off a beeping noise he allegedly deemed annoying, a janitor turned off the breaker to a freezer that contained extremely valuable cell cultures, samples, and other research. The freezer, which was set to minus-112 degrees Fahrenheit, as the [*Times Union* reports](), warmed up to a catastrophic minus-25.6 degrees, damaging and destroying much of the decades of work. At least, that's what happened according to a lawsuit filed by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute lab against the janitor's employer. "People’s behavior and negligence caused all this," Michael Ginsberg, RPI’s attorney, told *Times Union*. "Unfortunately, they wiped out 25 years of research." ## Do Not Unplug According to Ginsberg, the simple mistake caused $1 million in damages and could even alter the university's efforts to develop solar panel technologies. The beeping was caused by the freezer being slightly above the temperatures it should have been set to, which wasn't far off enough to damage the samples. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a technician wasn't able to come to repair the freezer, which meant that the beeping went on for quite some time. The freezer door even had a letter pinned to it warning that "THIS FREEZER IS BEEPING AS IT IS UNDER REPAIR. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE OR UNPLUG IT." According to court documents, the janitor thought he had turned the breaker on instead of off. All in all, there was no ill intent, despite the considerable damage. "At the end of the interview, he still did not appear to believe he had done anything wrong but was just trying to help," a writeup of the university's investigation reads. **More on oops:** *[College Student "Accidentally" Builds Explosive, Forcing Bomb Squad to Detonate It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()