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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 16h

Climate Week was a different kind of conversation this year as many cleantech entrepreneurs and investors re-tooled their narrative around themes like resilience and independence. Read my full coverage in C&EN: cenm.ag/climateweek2... #ClimateWeekNYC #investment #business #energy #climate

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Reposted by Craig Bettenhausen

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Researchers made a swallowable battery from a rice paper–like material and body-compatible elements: #chemsky 🧪

cen.acs.org

This battery is ready to eat

Paper-based power source worked inside pigs for a few days, then vanished in weeks

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

More coming soon, but check out the "reporter's notebook" piece that my colleagues and I put together from #ClimateWeekNYC. Where else are you going to see Al Roker and Spider-Noir in the same article about #chemistry, #cleantech, and #climate? cen.acs.org/environment/... #news

cen.acs.org

At Climate Week, C&EN reporters found that technology is still seen as a solution to our climate problem

3 C&EN reporters offer their impressions from the annual New York City event

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

That is so amazing, any other gems on the roll?

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Yara started capturing CO₂ in the Netherlands that they'll ship to Norway for injection into the Northern Lights sequestration well in the North Sea. It and a few other happenings make me wonder, is #CCUS entering a new phase? Read on in @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/environment/... #CO2

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Reposted by Craig Bettenhausen

cenguild.bsky.social @cenguild.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The C&EN Guild has learned that earlier this week, one of our members was required to attend a meeting concerning discipline without union representation.

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Carbon capture has been active again the past few weeks in #dealmaking and project starting. Is there a new factor adding interest in #CCUS? Third item in the Chem Biz Watch this week is a Messer CO2 terminal in the EU. cen.acs.org/business/bus...

cen.acs.org

Business Watch: Symrise finds buyer for terpene unit, and more

Here’s what we’re watching in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries this week

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Congratulations to @cenguild.bsky.social on our first Labor Day as a union shop! #union

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The US is on track to change how it regulates nuclear power and radiation exposure risk. Watch this space: the administration is moving fast on the shift away from "ALARA," and it'll affect deployment of new reactor designs. cen.acs.org/policy/regul... #nuclear #news #safety #energy

cen.acs.org

US nuclear safety overhaul proposal draws support from Dow and others

NRC plan to drop the “as low as reasonably achievable” standard for radiation protection is expected to face legal challenges

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

There's a LOT more to this. Make the video blow up and I can probably convince my editors to let me write a whole feature

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Could one make an exercise bike that, without plugging into the wall, meaningfully charged a cell phone? Or do the #magnets and #electrons not pencil out?

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

One time a scammer tried to "buy" my car with a check bearing the signature of Robertt Mugabe. This is almost as stealthy

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Why do we have to deorbit the #ISS? This article in Space Daily goes into the how but doesn't say why it isn't stable just sitting in its current orbit. Is it being actively piloted now? #space

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Fermentation has been tough to make work in the wide, fast-moving, high-margin middle of chemical production. I visited a site in Slovakia that seems to have it figured out: cenm.ag/fermas #chemistry #news #travel #manufacturing #biotechnology

cenm.ag

Industrial biotechnology is working in Slovakia

Evonik’s Fermas industrial biotechnology plant could provide a blueprint for growing the bioeconomy

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Breakthrough Energy Ventures has a new #SAF investment fund backed by the airlines, and its first investment is in a nimble and efficient syngas-FT system from Lydian Read more in C&EN cen.acs.org/business/sta... #energy #news #investment

cen.acs.org

Lydian raises $43 million led by SAF-focused fund

Breakthrough Energy Ventures’ new airline-backed SAF fund led the round

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

The US has outsourced or procrastinated on big chunks of the #nuclear fuel lifecycle. DOE wants to build a set of campuses to address gaps. It's worth watching because these things will attract a lot of #science jobs and $. Read on in @cenmag.bsky.social lnkd.in/gMDbxT5f #energy #policy

lnkd.in

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Microsoft Word has abruptly decided I write in British English and is therefore pushing me to use "aluminium." I blame #AI. #language #writing

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Speaking of not-my-beat #science, the Captain Underpants movie has a surprisingly fact-based depiction of how #hypnotism suggestions work.

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Feels like time-change haters (like me) can't decide: Settle for clearly inferior #DaylightSavings time? Agitate for #StandardTime? Sit this one and thereby just kinda roll the dice? Science brain wants to poke at the #science of it, but feeling some #fatalism

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

#Lightning struck during the #fireworks show in DC this past weekend. I had to know: were they connected? The answer is ... maybe. A quick write-up: cenm.ag/4boltsdc Next time, maybe I'll get the photos, but these are from AP Photo/Allison Robbert (top) and Colin Winterbottom (bottom). #news

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Solstice makes a big move into electronic chemicals with the $14.5 million purchase of Element Solutions. Fluorochemistry is having a rough decade, but its still a powerful set of chemical tools. cen.acs.org/materials/el... #news #chemistry #semiconductors #AI

cen.acs.org

Solstice to buy Element Solutions for $14.5 billion

Honeywell spin-off invests further into electronic materials

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Air Products axed its big blue hydrogen project in Louisiana, ending both the hydrogen/ammonia part and the carbon capture and sequestration that would have made it low-carbon. Read more in C&EN, with insights from Lux Research and Jefferies cen.acs.org/energy/hydro... #hydrogen #energy #CCUS #news

cen.acs.org

Air Products cancels blue hydrogen project in Louisiana

Decision also kills the related CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration site under Lake Maurepas

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

What does "vegan" mean to you, or to the chemical industry, when we're talking about cosmetics and personal care? Read more in my latest for C&EN cen.acs.org/business/con... #biotechnology #chemistry #news #cosmetics #personalCare #vegan #science #business

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Some days as a #writer, you manage to stop yourself from changing "quickly wraps up" to "succinctly encapsulates."

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Can #AI can bring real value in #chemistry discovery work beyond what other computational methods can do? The US gov is asking. $500 million from CHIPS wil go to SandboxAQ to apply AI simulation and screening to #semiconductor Qs: #PFAS, #magnets, catalysts, and batteries. lnkd.in/eFXty4fd #news

cen.acs.org

US gives AI firm $500 million for electronic-chemical discovery

SandboxAQ will look for PFAS alternatives, catalysts, magnets, and battery materials

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Reposted by Craig Bettenhausen

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

West Chester University undergraduate Jake Gallahan and his instructor Kurt Kolasinski saw a familiar shape in the electron microscope image Gallahan made for a physical chemistry class project: the outline of Rammy, the school mascot. Read more: cen.acs.org/materials/na... #CENChemPics #chemsky 🧪

A scanning electron microscope image of a metal surface at high magnification. The surface is very uneven with long skinny features sticking out and rounded holes between them. One of the features kind of looks like a ram.

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

I LOVE answering reader follow-up questions. Reading the 2026 Digital #News Report by Reuters Institute, a lot of people are using #AI chatbot for News because they like asking follow-up questions. Ask me!! Over here, hi! I always have way more info than I can fit in the article.

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

If Duracell is listening, I absolutely hated your World Cup ad generated entirely with #AI. I like you and #Messi less from having seen it. #futbol

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

"... their simulated bodies typically stop just a few inches below the simulated desk that they're pretending to sit behind." Might be near the top of the list for favorite phrase I've convinced C&EN to publish this year. cen.acs.org/research-int...

cen.acs.org

Editorial: Are you a simulation? AI and the art of the interview

For science journalism, the source still matters more than the possibilities

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Good news: The US is getting a new #sunscreen UV filter for the first time since 1996. Bad news: Products won't likely be ready till the fall. Unclear news: Getting this one through FDA was such a pain, nobody's sure if anyone will brave it with other molecules. cenm.ag/bemtwin #summer #chemistry

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Reposted by Craig Bettenhausen

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Art and science came together recently at the Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu in Baltimore. Follow C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social as he uncovers a wealth of local art pieces inspired by space: #chemsky 🧪

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Me: I need to zen focus and write these 2 biobased chemicals articles. *gets face poison ivy*

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

A new journal article in PNAS puts some hard numbers on geological H₂ - It's looking pretty good. My @cenmag.bsky.social colleague Prachi Patel's coverage gives useful context around potential sources of #hydrogen and #helium in existing mine sites. Interesting stuff! cen.acs.org/energy/hydro...

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

* Moleskine notebooks. It's not my beat, but is mole leather the implication here? The reality? #veganism #showerThoughts #MorePreciselyTrainStationWaitingRoomThoughts

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

This is an example of how a caption can elevate an already-excellent photo

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Question on #cleaning for the #NYC crowd: The detergent pod ban New York was considering in 2024, that failed right? Y'all can still buy pods? #NewYork #laundry #dishwasher

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Reposted by Craig Bettenhausen

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

They’re here! Introducing the Talented 12 Class for 2026. These early-career scientists are taking on big global #chemistry challenges. Meet the 2026 Class: cen.acs.org/people/profi... #CENT12 #chemsky 🧪

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Qatar's helium has been off the market since the war in Iran begun in February, and tight supplies have scientists who depend on superconducting magnets worried. Read more in @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/business/spe... #helium #Iran #NMR #chemistry #NMRchat

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Reposted by Craig Bettenhausen

Jennifer Ouellette @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Sea shanties actually help people work together better. Plus they're awesome. :) www.popsci.com/science/sea-...

popsci.com

Sea shanties actually help people work together better

Centuries-old work songs still possess real psychological benefits today.

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

I am one house-style rule away from being able to put "Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung" into an article (everyone calls it BAM)

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Few things reveal your verbal ticks quite like editing your own 30-min transcript. *So,* new Uncovered podcast episode from @cenmag.bsky.social later this week, about #quantum computing.

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

I came for the on-the-ground #helium insights; I stayed for the stories and discussion of clever uses of #NMR on the questions chemists are asking in industry settings and materials science labs. Thank you to the #PANIC and #MANIC folks for letting me stop by for a day! #chemistry

A signboard outside a lab building door says "PANIC Meeting Entrance"

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

I'm wrapping up reporting a story for C&EN about solid-phase detergents, especially the emerging formats like sheets. As I turn to writing, what do you want to know? #cleaning #chemistry #homeCare #consumerProducts #journalism

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Craig Bettenhausen @craigofwaffles.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

The Met Gala and other clothing-as-art events also act as a venue for materials science experimentation that works its way later into more prosaic garments and goods. I've covered it now and then as #chemistry business writer, and maybe should do so more often. cen.acs.org/materials/bi...

cen.acs.org

Chemistry in Pictures: Fabric factory

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN): Keeping you up to date with the chemistry news that matters most. Published by the American Chemical Society.

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