A cool article on the C&E news website. Gold nanoparticles cleaning mercury. I worked a lot trying to clean water in graduate school. Also did a lot of ICP for metals. One problem that I frequently came up against was vaporization, and contamination of the instrument. Interestingly, adding gold helps this problem. A simple google search will yield lots of papers about this effect. Amalgams with mercury are popular for mining, dental fillings
Some mining examples mining questions and more mining
Dental amalgams are falling out of favor though it's hard to prove any link to specific health problems epa website on dental amalgams
So it makes sense that gold can be used to clean mercury. However, I enjoy reading about it and hope you do too.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Yet again it's been a long time
You can tell when I have a 40/hr a week job, can't you? I need to work on that. Well, here I am. blogging. I do still have a job, so I guess that's something-both a blog and a job. And a super spiffy apartment. Well, I think so.
I have a post in mind that I deeply want to get into-regulatory chemistry and defensible data. Both from the sense that sometimes the regulations are really really important-sign your chain of custody if you're doing anything legal, people. And sometimes the regulations do have to be followed because that's what you do to be consistent, even if no, that compound might not break down much in three days.
It's what I've been doing, and it is something that I am actually loving. But it's something that makes me get up in the morning, and so I don't really have time to draw out my thoughts tonight.
Also, I missed the local section here ACS meeting last week. I'm unhappy.
I have a post in mind that I deeply want to get into-regulatory chemistry and defensible data. Both from the sense that sometimes the regulations are really really important-sign your chain of custody if you're doing anything legal, people. And sometimes the regulations do have to be followed because that's what you do to be consistent, even if no, that compound might not break down much in three days.
It's what I've been doing, and it is something that I am actually loving. But it's something that makes me get up in the morning, and so I don't really have time to draw out my thoughts tonight.
Also, I missed the local section here ACS meeting last week. I'm unhappy.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Stereotypes about scientists
I said on Saturday that I was planning to write a full post about scientific stereotypes. Here it is. Lots of people have written lots of good ground here, and I'm not going to try to recover everything. Here are just a couple of links http://www.labmanager.com/ http://www.sciencebase.com.
I could go into a whole lot of questions about the gender politics of the stereotypes, but that's not where I'm trying to go.
I'm pretty sure everyone has heard a lot of the stories about people in many techincal fields. We're incapable of communicating, we loose interest as soon as anything has to actually deal with people, we can't manage to bathe/attract significant others or friends, etc. I'm sure there are people to whom that applies. You can see current examples on the TV show Big Bang Theory, among others. And there are people who have different opinions about these stereotypes. I have had guys in a bar in grad school say "Ooh, science majors are hot" That wasn't the only reason this particular guy didn't end up as boyfriend, but it was reacting to stereotypes instead of learning the reality-not a good relationship foundation.
I recently got the comment that I'm an "atypical PhD-you are actually functional and can talk to people." I do try for that, and I like(at least some) people. I definitely want to get to decide if I like them, not the other way around. I worry that I'm not as socially polished as I'd like to be, but I'm pretty sure that's more a function of me having high standards for myself. Science majors that I just went to school with include a salsa dancing singer with an amazing voice, a model-got pad, mothers of mulitple children, a sailor, a marathoner, and now I'm starting to feel like I don't do much. All of them very functional people.
There are also many people trying to work on these stereotypes. The University of Minnesota has a program UMN Gemini program site, that is designed to be a couple of lectures every month to help. But why do we need to do that in 2011? Why do I care? Well, I do feel that there is a big anti science bias in my country, and that stereotypes like this play into it. Okay, maybe we will do a little bit of stereotype politics. How many politicians are willing and proud to go on tv and talk about not trusting science? too many. How many make cracks about eggheads? Too many. and so we get people who mistakenly believe that there is legitimate scientific controversy about global warming, evolution, the safety of vaccines. because they don't want to be eggheads, and learn about science for themselves. Now, this is one of many reasons that people have for many different beliefs. It can't explain everything. And doesn't happen in a vacuum. But it's related.
I could go into a whole lot of questions about the gender politics of the stereotypes, but that's not where I'm trying to go.
I'm pretty sure everyone has heard a lot of the stories about people in many techincal fields. We're incapable of communicating, we loose interest as soon as anything has to actually deal with people, we can't manage to bathe/attract significant others or friends, etc. I'm sure there are people to whom that applies. You can see current examples on the TV show Big Bang Theory, among others. And there are people who have different opinions about these stereotypes. I have had guys in a bar in grad school say "Ooh, science majors are hot" That wasn't the only reason this particular guy didn't end up as boyfriend, but it was reacting to stereotypes instead of learning the reality-not a good relationship foundation.
I recently got the comment that I'm an "atypical PhD-you are actually functional and can talk to people." I do try for that, and I like(at least some) people. I definitely want to get to decide if I like them, not the other way around. I worry that I'm not as socially polished as I'd like to be, but I'm pretty sure that's more a function of me having high standards for myself. Science majors that I just went to school with include a salsa dancing singer with an amazing voice, a model-got pad, mothers of mulitple children, a sailor, a marathoner, and now I'm starting to feel like I don't do much. All of them very functional people.
There are also many people trying to work on these stereotypes. The University of Minnesota has a program UMN Gemini program site, that is designed to be a couple of lectures every month to help. But why do we need to do that in 2011? Why do I care? Well, I do feel that there is a big anti science bias in my country, and that stereotypes like this play into it. Okay, maybe we will do a little bit of stereotype politics. How many politicians are willing and proud to go on tv and talk about not trusting science? too many. How many make cracks about eggheads? Too many. and so we get people who mistakenly believe that there is legitimate scientific controversy about global warming, evolution, the safety of vaccines. because they don't want to be eggheads, and learn about science for themselves. Now, this is one of many reasons that people have for many different beliefs. It can't explain everything. And doesn't happen in a vacuum. But it's related.
It has been a long time, I know
I have been moving, and starting a new job. So, that's what's taking most of my time, though I will try and get more up here soon.
This job is a move out of doing chemistry, and doing research, into looking at other people's results, and verifying that all the QC is within range and that the change of custody has been done properly. All sorts of things.
I'm kind of enjoying that. I actually thinking about writing a longer post about some of that-there was an interesting conversation yesterday about stereotypes about scientists. I've got a lot to say, but I'm taking my time about that because I am trying to keep this blog separate from my work. I will not be posting on here what the job is, or telling any kind of details-since I know people can put two and two together.
This job is a move out of doing chemistry, and doing research, into looking at other people's results, and verifying that all the QC is within range and that the change of custody has been done properly. All sorts of things.
I'm kind of enjoying that. I actually thinking about writing a longer post about some of that-there was an interesting conversation yesterday about stereotypes about scientists. I've got a lot to say, but I'm taking my time about that because I am trying to keep this blog separate from my work. I will not be posting on here what the job is, or telling any kind of details-since I know people can put two and two together.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
SWRM highlights.
I promised updates about the Southwest Regional ACS meeting. I unfortunately missed a lot of sessions that I wish I could have made it to, due to being lost, and a resume review session, but I did get to see some.
My favorite research by far was looking at air mixing by radioactive isotopes, coming out of Arkansas. They found troposphere and stratosphere mixing, and looked at things like time to see results from Fukishima. Interesting stuff. Also, some good green chemistry overview, but much of it seemed like just that-an overview, not new knowledge. An interesting model of toxicity studies-preliminary at any rate-to be done on the computer.
I did a lot of career events, because in part I was there looking for a job. I heard excellent panelists talk about things that you can do with a chemistry degree other than labwork, which I'm looking hard at right now. And about people's individual stories. I heard about being the only woman at a water treatment plant. I still hope to hang out with that speaker-she sounded very interesting.
I love getting to hang out in Austin, especially now, because I love warm weather. It's cold outside.
My favorite research by far was looking at air mixing by radioactive isotopes, coming out of Arkansas. They found troposphere and stratosphere mixing, and looked at things like time to see results from Fukishima. Interesting stuff. Also, some good green chemistry overview, but much of it seemed like just that-an overview, not new knowledge. An interesting model of toxicity studies-preliminary at any rate-to be done on the computer.
I did a lot of career events, because in part I was there looking for a job. I heard excellent panelists talk about things that you can do with a chemistry degree other than labwork, which I'm looking hard at right now. And about people's individual stories. I heard about being the only woman at a water treatment plant. I still hope to hang out with that speaker-she sounded very interesting.
I love getting to hang out in Austin, especially now, because I love warm weather. It's cold outside.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Austin SWRM for the ACS
I am still here. I didn't get anything up yesterday, because I was at this regional ACS meeting. I will be here through the end of the week. There will be posts about this, because I have already heard many interesting things, but I'd rather be listening than writing. So until then, have fun listening to chemistry songs from the last post. Or share some of your favorite chemistry jokes.
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