Derek Lowe
@dereklowe.bsky.social
Medicinal chemist / chemical biologist, author of “In the Pipeline” at http://science.org/blogs/pipeline. [email protected] and on Signal at Dblowe.18
All opinions are mine; I don’t speak for my employer in any way.
All opinions are mine; I don’t speak for my employer in any way.
I'm up to 1884 with all 45 groups identified. The only problem is that this means that my remaining clues all have to bin into those categories, and I sure don't see how that happens (!)
January 17, 2026 at 3:31 AM
I'm up to 1884 with all 45 groups identified. The only problem is that this means that my remaining clues all have to bin into those categories, and I sure don't see how that happens (!)
Yeah, the time I got a faceful of its vapors by mistake I failed to notice the coconut notes. A sort of “burnt grape” character, yes. . .
January 17, 2026 at 1:51 AM
Yeah, the time I got a faceful of its vapors by mistake I failed to notice the coconut notes. A sort of “burnt grape” character, yes. . .
They are not in short supply. . .
January 16, 2026 at 7:44 PM
They are not in short supply. . .
Reposted by Derek Lowe
Odd little update on this story: I asked Africa CDC to clarify claim of Guinea Bissau halting this trial, they sent a letter scan:
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
HHS called this unrelated to trial. Story updated fwiw.
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
HHS called this unrelated to trial. Story updated fwiw.
Letter on Guinea Bisssau Trial MOH
www.documentcloud.org
January 16, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Odd little update on this story: I asked Africa CDC to clarify claim of Guinea Bissau halting this trial, they sent a letter scan:
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
HHS called this unrelated to trial. Story updated fwiw.
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
HHS called this unrelated to trial. Story updated fwiw.
Exactly. One of the big reasons it’s only been deployed at a distance if at all, as with Saddam Hussein’s regime and the Kurds, along with a few other horrifying examples.
January 16, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Exactly. One of the big reasons it’s only been deployed at a distance if at all, as with Saddam Hussein’s regime and the Kurds, along with a few other horrifying examples.
Zinc chloride fumes are not bright green. I have worked with it many times in the lab.
January 16, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Zinc chloride fumes are not bright green. I have worked with it many times in the lab.
Reposted by Derek Lowe
Full survey results show American public have high levels of confidence in scientists while revealing some partisan differences (including on how to fund science), but statements asserting lost trust should be read instead as intentional efforts to degrade trust.
www.pewresearch.org/science/2026...
www.pewresearch.org/science/2026...
January 16, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Full survey results show American public have high levels of confidence in scientists while revealing some partisan differences (including on how to fund science), but statements asserting lost trust should be read instead as intentional efforts to degrade trust.
www.pewresearch.org/science/2026...
www.pewresearch.org/science/2026...
Absolutely! We have prep machines dedicated to this detection mode, and it’s extremely useful
January 16, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Absolutely! We have prep machines dedicated to this detection mode, and it’s extremely useful
Trucks and cars are a poor analogy. The difference between tear gas and nerve gas is more like the difference between a bicycle and a freight train.
January 16, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Trucks and cars are a poor analogy. The difference between tear gas and nerve gas is more like the difference between a bicycle and a freight train.
Reposted by Derek Lowe
UPDATE 2: A senior official in Guinea-Bissau said in a letter that the trial has been cancelled. Guinea-Bissau will continue its current vaccination schedule until the birth dose is implemented for all newborns, the letter said. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
www.theguardian.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:11 PM
UPDATE 2: A senior official in Guinea-Bissau said in a letter that the trial has been cancelled. Guinea-Bissau will continue its current vaccination schedule until the birth dose is implemented for all newborns, the letter said. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
ICE are horrible assholes, but green smoke grenades are not nerve gas.
January 16, 2026 at 2:55 PM
ICE are horrible assholes, but green smoke grenades are not nerve gas.
No. Nerve agents are cholinesterase inhibitors that block nerve transmission. Full stop.
Tear gas irritates your mucosal linings.
Tear gas irritates your mucosal linings.
January 16, 2026 at 2:53 PM
No. Nerve agents are cholinesterase inhibitors that block nerve transmission. Full stop.
Tear gas irritates your mucosal linings.
Tear gas irritates your mucosal linings.
No. Nerve agents are a horrible thing all by themselves, and this is widely understood. Tear gas is not one.
January 16, 2026 at 2:51 PM
No. Nerve agents are a horrible thing all by themselves, and this is widely understood. Tear gas is not one.
Reposted by Derek Lowe
This is one of the saddest things to me about GenAI, LLMs, etc.
It's finding out just how many people simply don't care if something is really, truly the truth.
How often they're satisfied with something that sounds fine or looks like they want.
It's finding out just how many people simply don't care if something is really, truly the truth.
How often they're satisfied with something that sounds fine or looks like they want.
January 16, 2026 at 2:26 PM
This is one of the saddest things to me about GenAI, LLMs, etc.
It's finding out just how many people simply don't care if something is really, truly the truth.
How often they're satisfied with something that sounds fine or looks like they want.
It's finding out just how many people simply don't care if something is really, truly the truth.
How often they're satisfied with something that sounds fine or looks like they want.