iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

A bit ago I couldn’t remember the word “thermometer.” Could only say “temperature probe.” Sheesh. 🧪 #chemsky #chemchat

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Anyone know how to wash/clean the charcoal out of this funnel? Happens in ground glass joints too. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Bike ride is better and beer is tastier when you’ve played hooky from work to do it.

Me, having a beer at Little Fish Brewing Co in Dayton, Ohio

Me, stopping for a pic while biking on a bridge.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Looking for anyone who has done this as a large scale (>10 g) preparation of L-Glutamine. I can't get it to work well. (Yes I've scoured the literature and have considered the inhibitory feedback mechanisms and have varied all the variables I can, but continue to get poor yields.) #chemsky 🧪

Conversion of L-Glutamic acid to L-Glutamine using Glutamine synthetase.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

When I was a kid and toothpaste tubes were metal (yes they were youngins!), we had little devices to scroll them up to get all the toothpaste out. Need that now. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Max Jr says Happy 4th of July.

My cat’s white paw with red and blue caps.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Woohoo my alma mater still holding strong. At least in the US. 🧪 #chemsky

News that UC Berkeley is top school in US and in top 3 in chemistry.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

I did. It seems fine to me? (Big signal @ 32-35 min is my compound of interest.)

HPLC PDA signal showing signals for compounds.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Any prep-HPLC experts? I must isolate 20-40 g of a fatty acid ester by HPLC. RP column. So, many injections. I can make solutions that are 1 g material in 4 mL mobile phase. Is this a crazy (e.g., bad) concentration to use? It does *seem* to be working. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

I got one! Coworker made it and we dig it. Our new lab mascot. Believe I first saw this from bsky.app/profile/simo.... 🧪 #chemsky

Capybara NMR tube holder. With top hat and monocle.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Using a balloon feels old school and fun. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

In 2 days, a scientist wrote a whole paper and it was accepted. That was back in 2020. By now I assume you just feed in some data and AI converts it to a paper and minutes later it’s accepted by AI editors. 🧪

Copy of a paragraph from Dragon’s Egg by Robert L Forward (1980).

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

If there exists a 6-month to 1-year PhD level position in synthetic organic chemistry in the Seattle area, please let me know! (Yeah I know the odds are low.) Why this picture? I don’t know - but I can do chemistry! 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

I kind of like getting a whiff, just a whiff, of ammonia. I don’t hate the smell in small doses. It makes me feel clean, or awake, or something. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

In case you were wondering what’s in here. 🧪 #chemsky

Label on bottle of HCl with a notice that it contains…HCl.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Twice I have tried and failed to get into the lottery for this. Question: are there any other similar types of interesting natural phenomena like this to see? I think there are the bats exiting caves in Texas. Other stuff? Anything. 🧪

Advert for the Great Smokies synchronous firefly lottery.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Apparently Wheaton (or anyone?) does not make these desiccators any more - the ones with the gaskets. I like them much better than the ones you have to grease, and require force to pull the lids off. Do you know if these are sold anywhere? (Besides eBay) 🧪 #chemsky

Large and small desiccators with gaskets between base and lid.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

This is in Virginia? We have these in Ohio too now.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Harold Urey was born on this day in 1893. He discovered deuterium in 1932. Willie Nelson was born on this day in 1933 (same year as my mom). Urey got the Nobel Prize in 1934. Are these events connected? Here’s a New Ales Post Mow Lawn German Kolsch 4.2% to them. Willie is still with us! 🧪 #chemsky

Harold Urey, a deuterium atom, Willie Nelson, and me holding a beer.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Every time I see someone shame-post about how people should give up driving and bike to work, it’s a picture of someone on a completely flat road in the middle of the city. Not on hilly country roads for 30 km on icy roads in the dark with cars 2 cm from them. 🚲

Just me in my bike shirt, having a beer. 🍺 🙃

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

They should make these in funky colors and designs. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Been firmly opposed to the anti-decency (and anti-science) party for a long time. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

WHY does my pump make a HORRIBLE ear-splitting racket for 5-45 min after turning it on. After that time it settles down. Doesn't seem to be related to amount or cleanliness of oil, or the belt. I think it's in the oil reservoir. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

If I only had a dollar for every time I realized it had not been rotovaping the last two hours because I did not hit the heating start button. 🧪 #chemsky

Rotovap indicating bath temp at 10 degrees when set at 45, because I had forgotten to start the heating.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

I cannot think the words “cold finger” without humming a James Bond movie tune. 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Guess I wore the right shirt today! 🍀 🧪 #chemsky

Me wearing my green hoodie in the lab. It has a cartoon atom on it. I forgot what day it was so that was lucky.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Trying this again. Who are these two, and how are they connected? 🤓 🧪 #chemsky

Middle aged man. Scientific writing on picture borders.

Two pics of the woman. In one she’s wearing leather, looking seductive with a cigarette in her mouth.

The same man, at a younger age. Pic looks early 20th century.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Who are these two, and what is their connection? 🧪 #chemsky

Two pictures of a young woman, in one she’s looking seductive, wearing leather and smoking. Also a black and white picture of a young man’s face.

Another picture of the man and woman. The middle aged man has scientific writing near his picture. The young woman has a cute 70’s look.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Didn’t make it to a rally today, but yes I Stand Up for Science! 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Forever and ever I thought that if the tube did not spin, the signals would be crap. But our spinner was down for weeks and everything was just fine. Signals looked just like they always looked. What do I not understand? (Spinner is back to working now, actually.) 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

I was in grad skool 89 years ago but I have this memory that we used to buff our bench tops with mineral oil to make them shiny/pretty? Did I? Did anyone else? Do you do this or something similar now? 🧪 #chemsky

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Max Jr can probably tear a mouse or bird to pieces yet I feel the need to mash up his pâté up for him.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Kinda looks like I’m making 🎃 🥧 #chemsky 🧪

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Small pet peeve, found on some glassware. I know the markings are only “5%” accurate anyway but why not just go all the way? What, are they saving some money doing this? #chemsky 🧪

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I somehow have only recently discovered I can do SiO2 chromatography using an eluent of 45:45:10 CHCl3:MeOH:con NH4OH. No problem. Wouldn’t have previously guessed I could use that much aqueous and MeOH. Anyone else doing similar things? #chemsky 🧪

$TLC plate showing fractions from a column.$

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I caught these a couple of weeks ago in Miamisburg Ohio.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

In Episode 77 of Topics in Endurance Sports I talk about three short trails races I did. In Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Ain’t having much luck with this Northern Lights thing. The one time I didn’t go out (bc my useless app suggested not to) people nearby posted cool pics. The three times I did go out, I’ve mostly seen nothing but dull sky. 🧪

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

The Nobel Peace Prize committee may have to give itself the Nobel Peace Prize for not giving Trump the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Do you appreciate someone from decades ago? It’s not always too late to thank them! 🧵 🧪 #chemsky #chemchat

First part of a post sent by former student stating that I had helped her.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Is it fairly common to do prep HPLC separations using only MS signals to decide when to collect product? For compounds with poor absorbance? E.g., amino acids. 🧪 #chemsky #chemchat Max Jr is curious too.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Some only flew into the nearby tree when I got close. 🧪

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Smart/birder friends, why did all these little birds fly into my neighbor’s bush and get all chirpy TODAY? Near Cincinnati Ohio. 🧪

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

I love how in the movies (esp old movies) the aliens have some freaky evil technology that is nothing but a black box to us, yet in about 36 hours we (always an older white man) have a fix for it. 🧪 #chemsky #chemchat

Scene from “Invaders from Mars” movie (1953) showing white dude in lab coat mixing colorful chemicals.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Dream: some billionaire (trillionaire?) opens a gigantic laboratory where regular (non-superstar) scientists could work on their pet idea(s) for a year or two, to see if it’s feasible. Imagine the discoveries that would happen, the collaborations formed. 🧪 #chemsky #chemchat Also: Max Jr.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

I know we see this crazy stuff a lot, but this was at the science section of a museum! Sheesh. I sent them a message, begging them to find a chemist to fix it. 🧪 #chemsky #chemchat

Horrible chemical structure seen at the entrance to the science part of a museum.

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Tim C. Smith @chemsmith.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Found this little guy in our bathroom. I guess he is a “bold jumping spider.” some people keep them as pets.

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