DNA migration

Education for less privileged nerds. Today, I found it interesting that in lab we were doing Gel Electrophoresis. Basically DNA from samples, in this case from bacteria migrates, when a positive charge is turned on at one end of this gel. There is a gel that is in the container in the picture. This gel has pores that are very, very small, and DNA molecules which are negatively charged wiggle their way through the nano-scopic pores in the gel. the DNA is dyed blue, and so visibly the blue and purple-ish bands migrate through the gel. It is fun to watch. The gel when taken out of the "well", is soaked in ethidium bromide, which is supposedly maybe, controversially mildly carcinogenic, which stains the DNA so that it fluoresces (when it is exposed to Ultraviolet light), and then a photo is taken. I got to take part in the whole process, which was fun to watch, the E. Coli, and Lambda phage virus DNA migrate. The gel because of the pores seperates DNA molecules based on size, and then there are seperate scale markers that migrate along the side, and then the approximate, or exact molecular weight of the DNA molecules can be deduced. Pretty cool to watch, I wanted to take a video with my cell phone. It's sad sometimes, that many of my peers (including me sometimes) have lost our enthusiasm, our creative spirit, when in the midst of labs. Yes, it could be argued it's the institutional aspects of society so stifling to such joy, such creativity. But my experience is not playing out that way. Joy in any circumstance, and functioning I'm learning are not in conflict with eachother.