A picture of a mole with masses of moles of water, iron, ixygen, salt, gold, and helium.

Happy Mole Day for all who celebrate

According to a 2021 report, the University of California system:

• generated $82B in economic activity in California

• supported 529K jobs in the state

• generated $21 in economic output for every $1 received

Public divestment from higher ed makes no sense, even in the narrowest economic terms.

I received a heartbreaking email today: A paper in a special issue I’m editing is being retracted because one of its authors is afraid of losing their job and their legal status in the U.S. if they publish a scientific study on evolution. Yes, on evolution, nature's engine of diversity.

do you ever just get really
excited about homochirality in origins of life chemistry

One of my labs just hangs them from a thin horizontal pole. Right now, another lab has a wire drawer which is a terrible plan long-term lol, so I've been looking for cheap hanger systems.

Oooh, I'll check them out, thanks! I love skincare/makeup applied chemistry.

Pen and bottle physics magic (slow motion).

Attorney General Bonta and 14 Attorneys General Issue Joint Statement on Protecting Access to Gender-Affirming Care OAKLAND – Attorney General Bonta today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general to reaffirm their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care in the face of the Trump Administration’s r...

I am really heartened to see this, even as I am beginning to really absorb and consider the observation of trans elders that trans people have always existed regardless of state sanction oag.ca.gov/news/press-r...

The Rewriting of a Pioneering Female Astronomer’s Legacy Shows How Far Trump’s DEI Purge Will Go The federal webpage for an observatory named for the late astronomer Vera Rubin was edited to omit any recognition of the fact that science remains a male-dominated field or that the observatory was…

As of Jan. 15, a biography of Vera Rubin on the observatory’s website included a section titled, “She advocated for women in science.”

That language was gone Monday morning. Some of it was later restored — but not all of it.

By @lisalsong.bsky.social

I’m an NSF panel reviewer that was scheduled to meet today. Just got notice that all NSF panels were canceled today. I reviewed some innovative proposals in support of students. Devastating if these scholars don’t get to do this work. For the love of science & students I hope this is just a delay.💔

First day of class Boyle's Law demo!

NIH In Your State - United For Medical Research Select a state on the map to see the impact of NIH funding across America.

I just reached out to my senators about the NIH situation. If you need to find out how much impact NIH has in your state in terms of dollars in and their economic impact here's a link: www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...

That was great. 🕷️🌿🐞🦗🌙

I had a homework problem where students needed to figure out the max playing time of a CD. I thought a student in office hour was stuck because English was her third language, but no: she didn't know how to picture a CD! Oops.

A cartoon version of Adam Scott as Mark S from the show Severance. The text below him says "The work is mysterious and important."

Happy #Severance day to all who celebrate!

Mad at Meta? Don't Let Them Collect and Monetize Your Personal Data If you’re fed up with Meta right now, you’re not alone. Meta tracks you across millions of websites and apps and its business model relies on your data. If you want to limit Meta’s ability to collect ...

Fed up with Meta? Avoiding Instagram or Facebook isn’t enough to stop Meta from harvesting and profiting from your private information. Here’s how to limit Meta’s ability to monetize your personal data.

Awwww thank you 🥰. I love what I get to do.

Posting some old art since I might delete my IG. Saint Rose, color pencil, 2018.

Beautiful

NorCal Resist | Official Merchandise | Bonfire All proceeds go towards our fix it campaigns, deportation defense, and other important work! Support the work of Northern California's home of the resistance by buying...

Get some great gear and support @norcalresist.bsky.social!

www.bonfire.com/store/norcal...

The Hidden World of Electrostatic Ecology | Quanta Magazine Invisibly to us, insects and other tiny creatures use static electricity to travel, avoid predators, collect pollen and more. New experiments explore how evolution may have influenced this phenomenon.

I'm teaching biology/animal science students physics this semester, and I'm so excited to learn more about biological applications. Going to incorporate this into static electricity lectures: www.quantamagazine.org/the-hidden-w...

Yours, as well! 💕