On August 14, 1996, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, 48-year-old chemistry professor Karen Wetterhahn was performing a routine experiment. While using a pipette to transfer dimethylmercury, one or two drops spilled onto her left latex-gloved hand. She followed all known safety protocols, cleaned the area, and removed her gear, believing she was perfectly safe behind the protective barrier. For five months, Karen remained healthy and asymptomatic. However, in January 1997, she bega