Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Xile Hu

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 2d

News that shocks no one: Carbon offsets do nothing for climate.

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

www.theguardian.com

21 370 920

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · 1d

I just hope they give to someone who is also a good human… not for granted from the lists you all proposed

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · 7d

How pathetic!

Reposted by Xile Hu

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · Oct 29

In recognition of us doing fuck all to reduce emissions, let me remind y'all that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is useless unless we decarbonize drastically.

rdcu.be/dbFbB

Carbon dioxide removal is not a current climate solution — we need to change the narrative

Drastically reduce emissions first, or carbon dioxide removal will be next to useless.

www.nature.com

110 970 3.6K

Reposted by Xile Hu

Ashley Lynch ✂️🎞️ @ashleylynch.bsky.social · Jul 14

WeTransfer just changed their TOS giving themselves permission to train AI on any content you transfer and produce derivative works based on content you transfer that they are allowed to monetize and you are not allowed payment for.

Stop using WeTransfer.

130 5.3K 7.6K

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Jul 15

I cannot help it here, but every “real” organometallic chemist knows 18 electron rule never holds…

1 2

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Jun 5

For anyone who had lived in the US in better days (like myself), this is sad to see. #chemsky

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · Jun 5

“A Busy, Busy Day at the Airport”

By Ruben Bolling

Genius. Click in.

A cartoon showing various activity at an airport, including an extorted luxury jet, an exploding X rocket, a ketamine enthusiast wheeling a barrow of money to his plane, many ICE officers -- some taking people to an El Salvador plane, another with a zip-tied child being blocked by a federal judge -- scientists boarding a plane to Europe, a medical self-educator covered with pox, and more. All the people are represented by various animals. The story is made in the style of a Richard Starry children's book. Alt text borrowed from Mastodon..

1 10

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Jun 5

Looks great Jerome. Now can we make find a way to express this photosensitizer thing via genetic code?

1

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Jun 4

@kay-severin.bsky.social I guess no more laughing gas parties?

Chemjobber @chemjobber.bsky.social · Jun 4

FDA Advises Consumers Not to Inhale Nitrous Oxide Products

www.fda.gov/food/alerts-...

#chemsky

Safety Alert

Due to potential for severe adverse events if used for recreational/non-food purposes.

www.fda.gov

3

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · May 15

Our entry to the field of solid oxide electrochemical cells. A field with new opportunities and we are here to stay. The work was led by a brillant postdoc Wenchao Ma and supported by collaborators around the globe.

3

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · May 15

We developed an encapsulated NiCo alloy catalyst for high temp CO2 reduction in solid oxide electrochemical cells. An voltage of 1.1 V at 1 A/cm2, corresponding to 90% energy efficiency. The reactions produce CO in 100% selectively and we run it for 2000 h. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #chemsky

1 2 15

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · May 9

Appreciate the clarification. I don’t think such a debate can be settled by arguing. It can only be settled by trying and either failing or succeeding. So supporters should work on their pro h2 technologies, and opponents should work on their alternative technologies - and see who wins!

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · May 9

I read with interest after your comment. I don’t quite get who you refer to as smart people as there is only one person quoted, and not even a chemist (so won’t understand that there are things that hydrogen does that can never be replaced).

1

Reposted by Xile Hu

European Commission @ec.europa.eu · May 8

Choose Science. Choose Europe.

A new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call is now open.

With a budget of €404.3 million, it will support around 1,650 researchers from Europe and beyond.

Apply by 10 September → europa.eu/!fBTMgF

15 560 960

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · May 5

EU has made its choice clear and loud: the choice of science, freedom, and collaboration. Time for Switzerland and EPFL to follow suite. @snsf-ch.bsky.social

Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · May 5

Europe’s choice is clear.

To put science at the heart of its economy.

To become the home of scientific freedom and collaboration.

And to welcome talent from all over the world.

I’m glad to present the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative.

→ europa.eu/!TTbWbJ

1

Reposted by Xile Hu

Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · May 5

Europe’s choice is clear.

To put science at the heart of its economy.

To become the home of scientific freedom and collaboration.

And to welcome talent from all over the world.

I’m glad to present the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative.

→ europa.eu/!TTbWbJ

130 990 4.1K

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · May 1

This is too good to pass by😂

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · May 1

Neutral Switzerland 🔥

I love this so much…

2

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Apr 29

I am very pleased to announce the closing of a 9 M Series A financing round for our startup NovaMea. We are fully committed to develop critical materials such as membranes and catalysts for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers, enabling green hydrogen production at large scale and low cost.

1 10

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Apr 3

To be faire, this (homo-herero Pd) is known long time before Ananikov started to study it… my colleague paul dyson has papers before 2010 on them, and they are not the first one… I think the paper is about this particular reaction system.

1 2

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Mar 27

Every rejection is different; every rejection is the same.

1 1

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Mar 23

Bad things spread like viruses and infections. One thing might be better here is that universities are still not supposed to make money.

1

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Mar 20

Great title: the rise of bullshit jobs in universities:-)

Ulrich Hintermair @hintermairlab.bsky.social · Mar 20

academic.oup.com/brain/articl...

On the responsibilities of intellectuals and the rise of bullshit jobs in universities

You may never have considered yourself to be one. Why would you? But if you’re reading this, there is more than a likelihood that you are one. If you’re a

academic.oup.com

1 1 3

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Mar 19

#chemsky I won’t go to US for a foreseeable future because I am guilty on several counts: 1. Being born in China; 2. Doing « sustainable » research; 3. Having infinitely negative opinion on MAGA cartels. I am genuinely afraid at the us border control. I am nostalgic of my previous life in US.

FX Coudert @nanoporous.net · Mar 19

French researcher, going to a conference in Houston, was forbidden entry to US; his work and personal electronics were both confiscated.

Why? Because a “random search” of his cell phone revealed a negative personal opinion on Trump and the Trump administration. www.lemonde.fr/internationa...

Etats-Unis : un chercheur français refoulé pour avoir exprimé « une opinion personnelle sur la politique menée par l’administration Trump »

Le ministre de la recherche a dit sa « préoccupation », mercredi, après cette décision des autorités américaines. Le chercheur du CNRS aurait subi un contrôle aléatoire à son arrivée, avant que son or...

www.lemonde.fr

1 15

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Mar 19

Thanks for this. You are totally right. Because they are alike.

1 2

Xile Hu @xilehu-epfl.bsky.social · Mar 19

WTF! It reflects not only the orange clown, but also a large amount of these people, who have no ethical standards. Because don’t tell me that there is doge putting a gun at the head of these people at the border control to force them to do that.

1 23