Thoughts on the various Trump administration proposals to revamp US science funding - and what they all have in common:
The Assault On Science Funding Continues
science.org
Patrick Lutz
@patricklutz.bsky.social
Asst. Prof. at St. Lawrence U. Organic chemist making and breaking polymers. Mostly here for pictures of cats. he/him/his, https://lutzpolymerlab.weebly.com/
I am going to attempt (badly) to explain why this is so cool, not just because of the medicine itself but because of the science behind how they made it, please no one tell the chemists how inaccurate this is about to be
Kathryn VanArendonk@kvanaren.bsky.social · 3w agopretty pretty wild to get a nyt alert for the project my husband has been working on for decade 🥰
🚀Space package launch is a go!🚀 @cenmag.bsky.social's physical sciences team has been working hard on this for over half a year and I'm so excited to finally show it to the world! cen.acs.org/physical-che...
To the moon, Mars, and beyond
Chemistry is key to the success of current and future space missions
cen.acs.org
really think that if democrats hold any chamber of congress next year that a condition of passing a budget is the removal of russ vought, who has a genuinely tyrannical vision of presidential power and is a focal point of the lawlessness of the trump administration
Phil Rocco@philiprocco.bsky.social · 4w agoI don’t think people really understand how bad the OMB proposed rule is going to be for state and local govt. We’re talking about putting a full third of state budgets under the explicit control of Russ Vought. (1/2) www.bondbuyer.com/news/cities-...
Gonna show this to anyone who asks why they should study organic chemistry.
Gonna show this to anyone who asks why they should study organic chemistry.
Our latest paper is online in JOC! We looked into the mechanism of some azulene functionalization chemistry using experiment and DFT, and we were surprised by the conclusions. doi.org/10.1021/acs....
Good to see Olivia Rodrigo singing about her course-based undergraduate research experience, but she needs better PPE.
Hi #chemsky were you affected by the Canvas outage? We at @cenmag.bsky.social would love to hear from you for a potential story! My DMs are open!
The difference between alkane and alkene is alkene can be hydrogenated.
C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)@cenmag.bsky.social · 4mo agoThis year, we are celebrating the theme Into the Woods with Chemistry by highlighting the essential role of trees and forests in building a sustainable world, during #ChemistsCelebrateEarthWeek, April 19–25, 2026. #CCEW #ChemistryofTrees #chemsky 🧪
If you think legislation that targets “low enrollment degrees” only impacts the humanities please look at this list. Degrees in chemistry, math, physics, political science, data analytics, psychology and economics are being eliminated. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/04/16/o...
Ohio's public universities are eliminating nearly 90 degree programs as a result of Senate Bill 1 • Ohio Capital Journal
Nearly 90 degree programs have been identified to be cut at Ohio’s public universities since Senate Bill 1 was signed into law a year ago.
ohiocapitaljournal.com
Trump's 2027 budget proposes cuts of: 🔻 $5.8 billion to NIH 🔻 $5.6 billion to NASA 🔻 $4.8 billion to NSF 🔻 $4.6 billion to EPA 🔻 $2.9 billion to CDC 🔻 $1.6 billion to NOAA If these science cuts pass they will make the US a less healthy and less safe place to live.
A hot dog/sandwich debate just spontaneously broke out among my students before class started.
The White House budget proposal is out. Suggests cutting $5B from the NIH budget, to $41B. A similar cut to what was suggested in FY26, and which lawmakers rebutted. (But, keep in mind, the FY26 appropriated money has not been granted as you'd expect.) www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
whitehouse.gov
It's cool that the ACS Quick Style Guide cites Steeped, but who is F. Frankel?
No April fooling - #RMC2026 Registration & Abstract Submission close May 1. The 40th biennial Reaction Mechanism Conference is June 7-10 in Holland, Michigan. That's less than 10 weeks away, so book your flights & hotels soon too! hope.edu/rmc2026
Did you experience travel issues at the ATL airport returning from the ACS meeting? Willing to share for a c&en story? My DMs are open #chemsky #ACSSpring2026
Despite it taking two hours to get to security at ATL (was in line outside for an hour) things are moving smoothly and everyone is being very friendly.
Preliminary Pentagon cost estimate of the war in Iran is $1 BILLION a day. So far.
I think that one of our big failings as a field is that you can't spell "chemistry" using element symbols.
Congress rejected massive cuts to US science budgets for 2026, but much of the money still isn’t flowing to researchers. The culprit? The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is quietly slow-walking the release of funds. 🧵👇
White House stalls release of approved US science budgets
The US Congress rejected sweeping cuts to science agencies. But the NIH, the NSF and NASA have had their spending slowed.
nature.com
there's a world map in "list of chemical elements named after places"
My student Lauren discovered this new(?) demo with sprinkles + LN₂! I haven't been able to find anywhere else that's reported this, but let me know if you've seen it before.
C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)@cenmag.bsky.social · 6mo agoWhen sprinkles are submerged in liquid nitrogen, they rapidly cool to −196 °C, causing the trapped moisture and air inside them to contract and the sugar structure to become brittle. cen.acs.org/education/Ch... #CENChemPics #chemsky 🧪
My student Lauren discovered this new(?) demo with sprinkles + LN₂! I haven't been able to find anywhere else that's reported this, but let me know if you've seen it before.
C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)@cenmag.bsky.social · 6mo agoWhen sprinkles are submerged in liquid nitrogen, they rapidly cool to −196 °C, causing the trapped moisture and air inside them to contract and the sugar structure to become brittle. cen.acs.org/education/Ch... #CENChemPics #chemsky 🧪
But, as they say, there is no time like the present [OK, maybe the 1930s if you want to nitpick] But, with some data wrangling, my first NSF Funding Curves! 2/3
