"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote

> The other day we all got an email from HQ saying that there's a global
> shortage of Acetonitrile. (The most commonly used solvent in our lab.)
> The email says that we need to carefully plan exactly how much we need
> and order it well in advance.
>
> On hearing this, the UK lab manager immediately ordered 16 L of
> Acetonitrile.

That's a perfectly rational and expected behaviour.

> I bet this guy is also one of the people who immediately buys 8 weeks'
> worth of petrol as soon as a tanker strike is announced too. :-P

It's called planning. If you have the means to carry it out (ie you have
storage and funds), it makes perfect sense. Everybody else will be doing
that, which will worsen the shortage, so one would be a fool not to
(somewhat related to prisoner's dilemma and related topics, which I suggest
you read).

Don't assume that anything the management does is stupid.

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