banner
LightNews
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant
@trantteam.bsky.social
1.5K followers 520 following 2.3K posts
Assoc Prof UWindsor, Faculty of Science Research Chair; married to @shufflersunite.bsky.social he/him/you bastard Probably writing a grant. Big Ottawa Senators Fan. www.trantteam.ca AND www.binarystarchem.ca. Total scientific saturation at an epochal pace
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 7h
As Anna notes...I don't think people who write newspaper articles actually understand what thinking is. The prize is for the IDEA that was executed right. The science needed to be done, but that was done by 100s of people. Much more deserving than the instruments they used.
profannawatts.bsky.social
Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 10h
Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.
Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."
Reposted by John Trant
bachynski.bsky.social
Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 15d
This is huge: “A drug that provides near-perfect protection against H.I.V. with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope… making lenacapavir a realistic choice in countries with constrained resources.”
Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.
www.nytimes.com
4 1.3K 4.2K
Reposted by John Trant
cathleencrudden.bsky.social
Cathleen Crudden @cathleencrudden.bsky.social · 16h
I'm at that point in a big grant where I can see the end and I'm happy with what I've written. Actually excited to spend the day (morning) writing...of course my inner voice tells me the excitement will abate but I'm enjoying it for now!
a man in a suit and tie is standing in front of a refrigerator with his hands crossed .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing in front of a refrigerator with his hands crossed .
media.tenor.com
1 1 30
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 17h
Ornithine?
1 2
Reposted by John Trant
angierasmussen.bsky.social
Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 17h
H5N1 is a huge threat. An H5N1 pandemic would make COVID look like a walk in the park. It keeps me up at night. H5N1 is a much more dangerous virus than SARS2. It will wreck agriculture as well as killing people. A deadlier pandemic, w/ added starvation & ecological devastation.
3 21 70
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 17h
No, but due to delayed maintenance and zealous fanatical lowest-bidderism-damn-the-quality, our entire campus is antediluvian as biblical floods are inevitable inside the buildings if we get a light rain.
richardfallon.bsky.social
Richard Fallon @richardfallon.bsky.social · 21h
A literary Iguanodon at the Earth Sciences Library. Do any other libraries have dinosaurs or other antediluvian creatures carved into the furniture?
2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 17h
No, but we have antediluvian cockroaches in the basement of the biology building?
2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 17h
#GoSensGo.
1 1
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 1d
Oh. For the person who won,yes. But those working in the same field?
1 1
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 1d
It would honestly do a lot more for the world than LLMs ever will. (Don't call them AI, they aren't. They are LLMs. They can't do anything except verbal extrapolation).
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 1d
Asking Nick Clegg for permission to take all his money out of his bank account would kill my "Take all Nick Clegg's money out of his bank account" business. Look, I'm willing to diversify to "Take all billionaires money and transfer it as block grants to developing nations."
theverge.com
The Verge @theverge.com · May 26
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
buff.ly
1 1 3
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 1d
That's not a MOF problem. That's an everyone problem.

I wonder though if Nobel prizes are good for funding? Or if the thought is "That's already won. Its done. Nothing left to do. Get a new idea you layabouts"
2 2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 1d
As a well established MOF-hater...congrats to the laureates. It's well deserved. And certainly chemistry for those in the cheap seats.

I'll go back to hating MOFs tomorrow (nothing against em, I just hate trendiness in science and think it harmful).
1 14
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
Eurogaming Bakeoff? I like it.
1
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
The baby, accomplishing absolutely nothing except frustrating all of us: "I did it! Great Job!"

Any university need a good VP of...well...anything? On top of the $300k salary, her expense account is mostly goldfish crackers and cookies, and she won't actually make anything worse.
2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
Should increase enrollment if you go national with the campaign.

Get YOUR education at FIT BDSM!
1 2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
Yeah...it was an odd thing to get upset about. Biology relies on other biology to live. I think it would die out fast as it wouldn't be able to live on glucose or amino acids. Ever tried to grow bacteria without chiral additives?
1 2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
Yes. Exactly. I really think it was one unlikely event. It happened. We are here now to argue about it!
1 1
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
Carbon being chiral...and things in our universe being in 3 macroscopic spatial dimensions, chirality is inevitable. Self replication and self assembly require specificity. No way to get that without chirality.
1 1
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 2d
Agreed. I think all life arose from a single self replicating event that went super critical. Once something started replicating, it covered everything fast and was able to evolve and differentiate fast. It was hard to go from 0 to 1. But from 1 to everything is faster.
1 2
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 3d
likely not yet. But, when it happens, do you want to give the acceptance lecture and just rip into me for the entire thing? A Nobel roast.
1 4
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 4d
We need to remind ourselves of the small victories. If you have successfully used a toilet today, Good Job!
1 5
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 4d
Of course, I claim all of materials sciences and energy sciences for chemistry too. Where would those fancy nuclear physicists be without uranium hexafluoride? Or wihtout the materials to make sure they aren't covered in uranium hexafluoride? Eh?? EH!!!!
1 4
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 4d
I often feel that this discourse is "If it has ANY application to the world, or is used as a tool by someone else, then it isn't chemistry." That's silly.

The other natural sciences study the universe as it is. Chemistry is the tool through which we make it squeal.
1 4
trantteam.bsky.social
John Trant @trantteam.bsky.social · 4d
Yes. Chemistry is when things are more complicated than particles in a box, and before they start getting silly with intact immune systems. Everything in between, every molecule, protein, interaction, dynamic process...and the tools used to study 'em are chemistry.
1 4