Bobby. You’re next, sweetie.
06.03.2026 23:42
👍 189
🔁 45
💬 5
📌 0
Bobby. You’re next, sweetie.
At the top of the photo is the "STAND UP FOR SCIENCE" logo. Below that in bold black text reads: "NATIONAL VIRTUAL DAY OF ACTION". Below that is a link that reads: tr.ee/virtual-rally. Below that in red text reads: "Online Saturday, March 7th Noon to 3PM ET". Below that in blue text reads: "An opportunity for all people to engage with the movement, hear from speakers, and show support for protecting science and evidence based policy, regardless of their location or ability to attend in person."Below that in white text reads: "Learn more about the event at standupforscience.net/march7". On the left side of the photo is a red graphic of the statue of liberty. In the bottom left corner of the photo is the red "STAND UP FOR SCIENCE LOGO".
We're hosting a virtual rally for those who are not able to attend a March 7th National Day of Action event in person. We don't think structural barriers should prevent anyone from being able to participate in a movement that directly impacts their lives.
(1/2🧵)
He is mentioned, but it is in the section on Beaker as the namesake for beakers.
I guess we have to wait for the named equipment article for more Dr. Bunsen Honeydew.
Roundbottom McFlask Dr. McFlask's career in chemistry almost didn't happen. Born to a poor family in the Bronx, Roundbottom was a natural athlete, he was offered a place at Texas A&M on a full sports scholarship. He had to take two token classes per semester, so he threw darts at the curriculum and picked Chem 1A. and History of Art 719. The latter failed to hold his interest, but it transpired he was a natural at chemistry too. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and was offered a PhD with Linus Pauling and quarterback with the New England Patriots. Wracked with indecision, McFlask eventually decided to forego fame, riches and women, and picked football. Then he changed his mind, and went with chemistry. His best friend, Bump Trap, made the opposite choice, and played five seasons as a linebacker for the Des Moines Showerhandles. McFlask's PhD was unremarkable, and he spent most of it cleaning glassware. The square-bottom flasks that were popular in that period required vigorous scrubbing to get all the gunk out of the corners, which was a time-consuming process. McFlask grew frustrated with it, and developed his first invention to fix it: the triangle bottom flask. With 25% fewer corners, the triangle-bottom flask could be cleaned in three quarters of the time, but it never really caught on. Likewise, his second invention, the semicircle-bottomed flask, was a bit of a flop. Finally, he removed the corners completely to create the vessel we know and love today: the McFlask Flask.
There are so many good bits to this article, but the origin of the round-bottom flask really spoke to me.
Having used (and cleaned) many, I'm so grateful to Dr. Roundbottom McFlask for his contributions to chemistry!
(3/3) 🧪
Jan Wótumétric Born in 1764 to Piwo Dziesieé -Garniec Wótumétric, a Polish chemist, and Stomililitru Wótumétric, a Czech systems analyst, Jan spent his childhood years in Prague. We know very little of Jan Wótumétric's early life, but it must have contained a lot of chemistry because he coauthored his first paper at the age of 12. The paper was an investigation into the ring-opening of substituted fenestranes, and was very advanced for its time. Jan's promising career in Europe was interrupted by the War of Bohemian Disgruntlement. Jan fled to the United States, where he joined the lab of fellow émigré Klaus Steinfinkel (inventor of the retro-Finkelstein reaction). The stress of leaving his home had clearly affected him, however, as he soon strayed into analytical chemistry. He took a job at the Office of Standards and Measures (the forerunner of the NIST), married a local girl called Florence, and anglicised his name to Volumetric. While working for the OSM, he developed his eponymous flask, to aid in the preparation of standardised solutions. Some say that the shape of his flask was inspired by his wife, who was said to have possessed a slender, swan-like neck and an absolute dumptruck of a behind.
Johan Strachwitz Gustav Schenk von 250 mL Measuring Cylinder They say that the line between genius and insanity is a fine one, but nobody who met Johan Strachwitz had any doubts about which side of it he was on. The house of von 250 mL Measuring Cylinder was ancient, and traced its lineage back through Frederick the Great and Charlemagne to Aleric the Goth, and thence ultimately to Thor. Somewhere along the line, the family wealth had been squandered, which is why Johan was born in a flat above a shoe-shop in Dusseldorf, shortly after the deaths of both of his parents in 1815. Johan was raised by his daughter, Nena Mgalsipsclarkca, and her husband, H. Helibebcnof. Despite his inauspicious beginnings, he never forgot his heritage, and did everything he could to resurrect the great house of von 250 mL Measuring Cylinder. His pursuit of wealth led him into the depths of alchemy. Johan believed that all his predecessors had failed to make gold because their measurements had been insufficiently precise. Thus, he set out to create the most accurate method of quantifying liquids, but only got as far as inventing the measuring cylinder before he was killed in a duel by Wilhelm Maximillian Adalberht Graf von Autopipette.
For those that don't know, The Journal of Immaterial Science is a fictional “beer‑reviewed” scientific journal that publishes "satirical, whimsical, and frivolous papers" from all areas of science.
(2/3) 🧪
Anyone else love @immaterialscience.bsky.social?
Their article, "On the Origins of Named Glassware," had me dying. It's complete nonsense, but also delightful if you like #chemistry adjacent silliness.
(Who doesn't, am I right?) #SciComm #FunFriday
www.immaterialscience.org/2025/glassware
(1/3) 🧪
Big*
Public engagement plays a bug role there.
A more science-engaged public is better immunized against pseudo-science nonsense AND is less likely to treat their religion as counter to science.
That provides space to shift votes away from zealots and snake oil salesmen.
💯 We always need to speak at eye level, so tuning your approach to your audience is crucial.
It should be a conversation, not a jargon filled lecture!
"Instead of operating in isolation, we need to reframe ourselves as scientists IN society. Scientists must more widely interface with communities "outside" their work and seize a more active role in shaping societal direction." Chris J. Fisher, Ph.D., in Scientists IN Society: From Isolation to Engagement https://blog.ucs.org/science-blogger/scientists-in-society-from-isolation-to- engagement/
Though we can't reduce the changes in US #SciencePolicy to our own actions alone, it is important that we embrace what we can do to improve our own situation.
Oftentimes, simply showing up is the most powerful tool for #ScienceCommunication.
(10/10) 🧪
"One possible explanation for the diminishing public support of scientific research is that we became overconfident that the importance of science is obvious to everyone and forgot that one of the most fun damental responsibilities of scientists is to share knowledge, always with the humility to admit that we do not have all the answers and that sometimes we are wrong." From: Miller, et al. Science must break its silence to rebuild public trust. Nat Neurosci 28, 2169-2170 (2025).
As an important reminder, be sure to tell folks when you "don't" have a clear answer.
A bit of transparency goes a long way, whereas panicked attempts to avoid appearing unknowledgeable can have the opposite effect.
After all, scientists, like everyone else, don't have all the answers!
(9/10) 🧪
"A groundswell of effective, empathetic scientific communicators can galvanize countless more to the cause, accumulating collective power to drive directional shifts." Chris J. Fisher, Ph.D., in Scientists IN Society: From Isolation to Engagement https://blog.ucs.org/science-blogger/scientists-in-society-from-isolation-to- engagement/
So instead, I encourage you to order a whiteboard and put yourself out there!
A groundswell of individual, empathetic, and effective scientific communicators across the country can make a real difference.
(8/10) 🧪
Though digital engagement also has its values, screens still create distance and can contribute to "us and them" sentiments.
There are also serious questions about the effectiveness of social media engagement, especially on hot-button topics.
(7/10) 🧪
By engaging in person, you can help put a human face on science, show empathy, and use your knowledge to help others.
You can also read more of my thoughts on building relationships and soft skills as scientists in this blog for @ucs.org.
blog.ucs.org/science-blog...
(6/10) 🧪
But I'd wager many more could spark a conversation at a coffee shop or park with a cheap whiteboard in tow!
We must continue to make ourselves visible in our community and to spend more time outside the comfortable confines of scientific and medical professional circles.
(5/10) 🧪
Many scientists and clinicians have been asking what they can do to help stem misinformation, build trust, and push back against problematic policies.
Not everyone has the time and resources to write op-eds, give public talks, travel to DC, and the like.
(4/10) 🧪
I absolutely love that idea and am eager to test it out myself! (...when New England warms up a bit).
Building local community is one of the best ways we can protect the scientific enterprise and grow public trust.
For more, read this awesome piece.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(3/10) 🧪
"How can we help to bridge this divide? Simply producing more exceptional science will not be enough to rebuild public trust. Rather, we must adopt a new model that recognizes communication and advocacy as core pillars of science, on a par with rigor and reproducibility." From: Miller, et al. Science must break its silence to rebuild public trust. Nat Neurosci 28, 2169-2170 (2025).
Among several great #SciComm ideas, she described how she takes a whiteboard into public spaces with a simple message: “Ask me about science.”
That simple, powerful invitation can help the scientific community better integrate with the public at a time when we need it more than ever.
(2/10) 🧪
!["Ask Me About Science!"
Got some time and want to engage your community? Grab a whiteboard, find a seat with foot traffic, and see what unfolds!
"Hello! Im a friendly neighborhood scientist, and I work on Linsert area of expertise and practice].
Ask me about science!" written on a whiteboard](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j6xkf6vtziqvhj2nh3nzx4rp/bafkreigzvuikoyrli4uc4rgizjgbczogokbd5rpi24xc3uqlbzcv5wrpqq@jpeg)
"Ask Me About Science!" Got some time and want to engage your community? Grab a whiteboard, find a seat with foot traffic, and see what unfolds! "Hello! Im a friendly neighborhood scientist, and I work on Linsert area of expertise and practice]. Ask me about science!" written on a whiteboard
What if every scientist spent one afternoon a month just talking about science with strangers?
Last week, I had the pleasure of hearing @beccmel2.bsky.social speak about in-person engagement for @standupforscience.bsky.social.
How can you do that in your community? Try a whiteboard!
(1/10) 🧪
This week's cover @thelancet.com
I don’t believe either settlement amounts were disclosed.
HOWEVER, that value is precisely why the estate deserves compensation.
While we can't right the original wrong, it should be a no-brainer to ensure that Henrietta's own family benefits from her incredible contribution to science and medicine.
osp.od.nih.gov/hela-cells/
(5/5) 🧪
Though not illegal at the time, the original use without permission or compensation constitutes a major injustice and an invasion of biological privacy.
But, as a result, HeLa cells have played a key role in the development of #CellCulture technology, helping save & improve many lives.
(4/5) 🧪
The wheels have turned slowly in this story, but it is good news to see progress.
It's an important case study of the risks of #SciencePolicy and #Bioethics lagging behind the science.
awis.org/resource/eth...
(3/5) 🧪
The estate also settled with Thermo Fisher Scientific back in 2023, but this marks the first with a major pharma company that has used these cells in #DrugDevelopment and #Biomanufacturing.
www.science.org/content/arti...
(2/5) 🧪
Major update to the story of #HenriettaLacks and the first immortal human cell line, HeLa cells!
Novartis and the Lacks' estate have reached a settlement.
www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/novar...
(1/5) 🧪
On this Presidents' Day, let’s reaffirm an important principle: US science policy should serve progress, not partisan actors and ego-driven contrarians.
(4/4) 🧪
Despite that legacy, the past year of US science policy has been needlessly disruptive, economically damaging, and dictated by personal feelings.
(Even keeping track of all the changes is a challenge. To help, I periodically update the tracker below.)
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
(3/4) 🧪
The US scientific enterprise has also contributed to lasting global relationships that have advanced our understanding of the natural world and equipped us with the tools to propel our society forward.
www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/p...
(2/4) 🧪
"There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness." George Washington, Jan. 8th, 1790 First Annual Address to Congress
With the State of the Union coming up, it's a good time to reiterate that US presidents have long understood the value of sound, stable, & evidence-based #SciencePolicy.
Science, medicine, & research are deeply woven in the fabric of the US—and central to its success over the last 250 yrs.
(1/4) 🧪