[jellicle]

Endangering yourself for curiosity is pretty much the absolute definition of a scientist. By definition, when you do something where you're not sure what it will do - that is, science - it's possibly dangerous.

Let's keep in mind: this incident, where no one was injured or harmed in the slightest, is being punished infinitely more severely than destroying the entire world financial system has been. Because, hey, poor black girl in Florida.

Interestingly, of all your links, not one caused even the slightest injury or slightest property damage. Injuries seem to be rather rare (and plastic shrapnel would lose velocity within a couple of feet).

[NamTaf]

I can think of another female who endangered herself for curiousity's sake, and the body of scientific knowledge this world possesses is infinitely better for it.

In that particular person's case she wasn't arrested. Instead, it resulted in her becoming the only person ever to receive two Nobel prizes in two separate areas of science.

Go figure.

[shabble]

Did she (or anyone else) realise the magnitude of the danger at the time though? I'd imagine she would have taken more precautions if so. Even now, her papers require protective clothing and cautious handling due to their contamination.