Paula Rossi
@elementalmusings.bsky.social
The first molecule in the ancient universe was HeH⁺. Consumed at a rapid rate by atomic hydrogen, it was never very abundant. Yet, its reactions with atomic H are 'are more important for primordial molecular abundances than was previously assumed...'
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky
Experimental confirmation of barrierless reactions between HeH+ and deuterium atoms suggests a lower abundance of the first molecules at very high redshifts | Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)
Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) is an international journal which publishes papers on all aspects of astronomy and astrophysics
www.aanda.org
November 26, 2025 at 10:40 PM
The first molecule in the ancient universe was HeH⁺. Consumed at a rapid rate by atomic hydrogen, it was never very abundant. Yet, its reactions with atomic H are 'are more important for primordial molecular abundances than was previously assumed...'
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky
Reposted by Paula Rossi
Wishing a happy 82nd birthday to biochemist Margaret Tolbert, whose research included studies of signaling within the liver and the interactions of drugs with it, and who in 1996 became the first Black woman to direct a Department of Energy lab.
#WomenInSTEM #ChemSky #BioSky 🧪⚛️
#WomenInSTEM #ChemSky #BioSky 🧪⚛️
November 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Wishing a happy 82nd birthday to biochemist Margaret Tolbert, whose research included studies of signaling within the liver and the interactions of drugs with it, and who in 1996 became the first Black woman to direct a Department of Energy lab.
#WomenInSTEM #ChemSky #BioSky 🧪⚛️
#WomenInSTEM #ChemSky #BioSky 🧪⚛️
The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name – Confucius
November 23, 2025 at 4:42 PM
The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name – Confucius
Reposted by Paula Rossi
Boston's Mayor Wu playing with Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall
November 23, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Boston's Mayor Wu playing with Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall
To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson: The chemist is the Namer, naming things sometimes after their appearance, sometimes after their essence, giving to everything its own name and not another’s.
#chemistry #chemed #chemsky
#chemistry #chemed #chemsky
Step into the Chemist's Lexicon
Learn to name a few simple ions.
mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:14 PM
To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson: The chemist is the Namer, naming things sometimes after their appearance, sometimes after their essence, giving to everything its own name and not another’s.
#chemistry #chemed #chemsky
#chemistry #chemed #chemsky
Back in grad school, I went to bars on the weekends with my nonchemist friends. When I met someone new, the conversation would go well until they asked, ‘What do you do?’
#justlikethat #gradschoollife
#justlikethat #gradschoollife
November 20, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Back in grad school, I went to bars on the weekends with my nonchemist friends. When I met someone new, the conversation would go well until they asked, ‘What do you do?’
#justlikethat #gradschoollife
#justlikethat #gradschoollife
Only two electrons separate elemental calcium from its typical ion – But this makes all the difference to the animals that depend on it.
#chemsky #chemistry #physiology #ions
#chemsky #chemistry #physiology #ions
Cornucopia
Nature serves up a bounty of ions. Let us give thanks...
mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Only two electrons separate elemental calcium from its typical ion – But this makes all the difference to the animals that depend on it.
#chemsky #chemistry #physiology #ions
#chemsky #chemistry #physiology #ions
Reposted by Paula Rossi
Marie Curie’s pioneering research on radioactivity changed the course of science. Her discoveries of polonium and radium opened new frontiers in physics, chemistry, and modern medicine.
What modern breakthroughs do you think trace back to Marie Curie’s discoveries? 🧪
What modern breakthroughs do you think trace back to Marie Curie’s discoveries? 🧪
November 7, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Marie Curie’s pioneering research on radioactivity changed the course of science. Her discoveries of polonium and radium opened new frontiers in physics, chemistry, and modern medicine.
What modern breakthroughs do you think trace back to Marie Curie’s discoveries? 🧪
What modern breakthroughs do you think trace back to Marie Curie’s discoveries? 🧪
Coloring outside of the lines... If a creature is bored out of their mind, they will not continue to work on a task. This is demonstrated by the chimpanzee and is well documented in the college student.
A cross-species lesson for all teachers.
#AnimalIntelligence #FransDeWaal #TommyBlanchard
A cross-species lesson for all teachers.
#AnimalIntelligence #FransDeWaal #TommyBlanchard
November 7, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Coloring outside of the lines... If a creature is bored out of their mind, they will not continue to work on a task. This is demonstrated by the chimpanzee and is well documented in the college student.
A cross-species lesson for all teachers.
#AnimalIntelligence #FransDeWaal #TommyBlanchard
A cross-species lesson for all teachers.
#AnimalIntelligence #FransDeWaal #TommyBlanchard
What does a tribe of ancient Greeks have in common with atoms that have lost or gained electrons? To find out, read this post… #chemistry #introchem #chemsky #ions
A Horse of a Different Color
Neutral atoms are pretty chill. But an atom that has lost or gained electrons is another matter.
mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:46 PM
What does a tribe of ancient Greeks have in common with atoms that have lost or gained electrons? To find out, read this post… #chemistry #introchem #chemsky #ions
I’ve been thinking about the French Revolution, thanks to a Substack post by Charles Bastille…
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky #sciencehistory
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky #sciencehistory
November 4, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I’ve been thinking about the French Revolution, thanks to a Substack post by Charles Bastille…
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky #sciencehistory
🧪 #chemistry #chemsky #sciencehistory
The periodic table can be intimidating, hanging there on the wall of the chemistry classroom. But it’s the ultimate crib sheet! Provided you have broken the code…
#introchem #periodictable #chemsky
#introchem #periodictable #chemsky
November 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
The periodic table can be intimidating, hanging there on the wall of the chemistry classroom. But it’s the ultimate crib sheet! Provided you have broken the code…
#introchem #periodictable #chemsky
#introchem #periodictable #chemsky
‘The Last Gift’ by Abdulrazak Gurnahis a masterclass in writer’s craft.
#BookSky #BookThoughts #NowReading
#BookSky #BookThoughts #NowReading
Paula Rossi (@periodicmusings)
Out there, in the big wide world… There is ‘The Last Gift’ by Abdulrazak Gurnah.
A novel that is a masterclass in writer’s craft. Sentences that quietly acknowledge often overlooked universal truths....
substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:15 PM
‘The Last Gift’ by Abdulrazak Gurnahis a masterclass in writer’s craft.
#BookSky #BookThoughts #NowReading
#BookSky #BookThoughts #NowReading
The universe, as we know it, has thrived on stability for eons. How many electrons does will stabilize an atom? That depends on the element! Fortunately, for us, we can look to the periodic table for the skinny on all 118 of them.
#chemistry #chemsky #periodictable
#chemistry #chemsky #periodictable
Hidden in Plain Sight on the Periodic Table:
Find the number of electrons that belong to every atom.
mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:39 PM
The universe, as we know it, has thrived on stability for eons. How many electrons does will stabilize an atom? That depends on the element! Fortunately, for us, we can look to the periodic table for the skinny on all 118 of them.
#chemistry #chemsky #periodictable
#chemistry #chemsky #periodictable
Why do atoms (usually) have equal numbers of electrons and protons? Would there be universal consequences if they did not?
#chemistry #chemsky #atoms #electrons
#chemistry #chemsky #atoms #electrons
October 29, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Why do atoms (usually) have equal numbers of electrons and protons? Would there be universal consequences if they did not?
#chemistry #chemsky #atoms #electrons
#chemistry #chemsky #atoms #electrons
#chemsky #chemistry #electron
The universe is at the mercy of delicate balances. The mass of the electron is ridiculously small and hard to measure. But it is of extraordinary consequence. ‘If electrons were only a little heavier or lighter than they are, the world would look radically different.’
The universe is at the mercy of delicate balances. The mass of the electron is ridiculously small and hard to measure. But it is of extraordinary consequence. ‘If electrons were only a little heavier or lighter than they are, the world would look radically different.’
Electron on the scale
A team headed by K. Blaum and Ch. Keitel from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics has determined with extreme precision the mass of an electron in an experiment in a Penning trap. An accurate...
www.mpg.de
October 27, 2025 at 3:27 PM
#chemsky #chemistry #electron
The universe is at the mercy of delicate balances. The mass of the electron is ridiculously small and hard to measure. But it is of extraordinary consequence. ‘If electrons were only a little heavier or lighter than they are, the world would look radically different.’
The universe is at the mercy of delicate balances. The mass of the electron is ridiculously small and hard to measure. But it is of extraordinary consequence. ‘If electrons were only a little heavier or lighter than they are, the world would look radically different.’
This sounds like a fun way to learn about chemical bonding … Kudos to Professors Weiss, Wray, and Reed for not only seeing the potential but also for the hours it took to ensure success.
🧪 #Chemsky #Chemistry #Organic-Chemistry
🧪 #Chemsky #Chemistry #Organic-Chemistry
Molecules in Motion: Where Dance and Chemistry Collide | Department of Dance | Claire Trevor School of the Arts
dance.arts.uci.edu
October 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
This sounds like a fun way to learn about chemical bonding … Kudos to Professors Weiss, Wray, and Reed for not only seeing the potential but also for the hours it took to ensure success.
🧪 #Chemsky #Chemistry #Organic-Chemistry
🧪 #Chemsky #Chemistry #Organic-Chemistry
When JJ Thompson discovered the electron in 1897, he rocked the scientific world. Physicists and chemists had labored for years under the notion that the atom was, as described by the visionary John Dalton, a single indivisible particle. How to accommodate these tiny negative entities?
October 22, 2025 at 7:20 PM
When JJ Thompson discovered the electron in 1897, he rocked the scientific world. Physicists and chemists had labored for years under the notion that the atom was, as described by the visionary John Dalton, a single indivisible particle. How to accommodate these tiny negative entities?
There are many occasions of symmetry in the cosmos. This post reveals the fundamental relationship that shapes the atom, and through it, the material universe.
#chemistry #chemsky #protons #electrons
#chemistry #chemsky #protons #electrons
Perfect Complements
Protons and electrons: Like peanut butter and jelly, a match made in heaven.
mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:55 PM
There are many occasions of symmetry in the cosmos. This post reveals the fundamental relationship that shapes the atom, and through it, the material universe.
#chemistry #chemsky #protons #electrons
#chemistry #chemsky #protons #electrons
Did you know...
That the legendary physicist, Ernest Rutherford, is considered by some to be the first successful alchemist? Or that Glenn Seaborg, a pioneer in the realm of atom smashing, was the first to make gold via nuclear transmutation?
#alchemy #chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
For more, see
That the legendary physicist, Ernest Rutherford, is considered by some to be the first successful alchemist? Or that Glenn Seaborg, a pioneer in the realm of atom smashing, was the first to make gold via nuclear transmutation?
#alchemy #chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
For more, see
Alchemy?!
From medieval myth to modern reality
substack.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Did you know...
That the legendary physicist, Ernest Rutherford, is considered by some to be the first successful alchemist? Or that Glenn Seaborg, a pioneer in the realm of atom smashing, was the first to make gold via nuclear transmutation?
#alchemy #chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
For more, see
That the legendary physicist, Ernest Rutherford, is considered by some to be the first successful alchemist? Or that Glenn Seaborg, a pioneer in the realm of atom smashing, was the first to make gold via nuclear transmutation?
#alchemy #chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
For more, see
Stable isotopes don’t always get the glory they deserve. They are often greeted with a heavy sigh in intro chem courses. But did you know that they can tell us what ancient hominins ate? #chemsky #chemistry #isotopes 🧪
How stable isotope analysis reveals what ancient humans and Neanderthals ate
Analytical chemistry can tell us what our ancestors ate thousands - or even millions - of years ago. Rachel Brazil gets her teeth into the evidence
www.chemistryworld.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Stable isotopes don’t always get the glory they deserve. They are often greeted with a heavy sigh in intro chem courses. But did you know that they can tell us what ancient hominins ate? #chemsky #chemistry #isotopes 🧪
Do you know that there are currently over 3,500 isotopic varieties of the 118 elements known to man? How can we possibly symbolize a specific one?
#chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
#chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
There's nothing like a good logo
Can we create suitable ones for each and every isotope?
open.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Do you know that there are currently over 3,500 isotopic varieties of the 118 elements known to man? How can we possibly symbolize a specific one?
#chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
#chemsky #chemistry #isotopes
Try to imagine chemistry without JJ Berzelius, who, after thousands of experiments, published the first precise list of atomic weights (1818). Yet Berzelius might have remained a mere physician had he never met Anders Ekeberg. Teachers can influence the course of history.
🧪 #chemsky #chemistry
🧪 #chemsky #chemistry
8 chemists with disabilities who left their mark on history
Scientists with disabilities ascended to the forefronts of their fields long before labs were accessible and civil rights were codified
cen.acs.org
September 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Try to imagine chemistry without JJ Berzelius, who, after thousands of experiments, published the first precise list of atomic weights (1818). Yet Berzelius might have remained a mere physician had he never met Anders Ekeberg. Teachers can influence the course of history.
🧪 #chemsky #chemistry
🧪 #chemsky #chemistry
Gold (Au) is labelled ‘observationally' stable. If gold were to suddenly display radioactivity, 'market volatility' might achieve critical mass! 💥😉 #chemsky #chemistry For more see mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com/p/as-for-gol... Written for the chemnovice and chemphobic
As for gold...
Chapter 1, Section 1.8
mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Gold (Au) is labelled ‘observationally' stable. If gold were to suddenly display radioactivity, 'market volatility' might achieve critical mass! 💥😉 #chemsky #chemistry For more see mapofthechemicalworld.substack.com/p/as-for-gol... Written for the chemnovice and chemphobic