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This is from Derek Lowe's blog "In The Pipeline" on the pharmaceutical industry via chemistry, and it's the best. It's bounced around a couple hosts over the y

This is from Derek Lowe's blog "In The Pipeline" on the pharmaceutical industry via chemistry, and it's the best. It's bounced around a couple hosts over the years, and sadly this latest incarnation on science.org doesn't preserve the tags from the original. Nevertheless, look up "Derek Lowe things I won't work with" for a great and hilarious series of posts on "fun" chemicals. For example: * Peroxide Peroxides: https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-peroxide-peroxides https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-wor... * Dioxygen Difluoride, or FOOF to its frenemies (let's put the two strongest oxidants together just for fun): https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-dioxygen-difluoride https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-wor... * Triazadienyl Fluoride: https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-triazadienyl-fluoride https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-wor...

DylanSp 5y ago
The "How Not to Do It" category is also pretty good: https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/how-not-to-do-it https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/how-not-to-do-it. My favorite is probably https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/not-do-liquid-nitrogen-tanks https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/not-do-liquid-nitr..., on what happens when a pressured liquid nitrogen tank blows up due to the pressure relief valve being closed. I'm not sure why the "Things I Won't Work With" category/tag isn't working on the new platform; all other categories I checked seem to work, though I can't find a list of all categories.
- ufo 5y ago
  Looks like manually editing the URL works: https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/things-i-wont-work-with https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/things-i-wont-wo...
  - sam_goody 5y ago
    I am fairly certain it is not legal to edit the URL to get to a page on a website. People have gone to jail for this. EDIT: To be clear, I am commenting as a way of venting over the ridiculous state of affairs, not because I agree or think that science.org will send the feds after you.
    - dizzy3gg 5y ago
      Have you got any sources of this?
      - emilecantin 5y ago
        https://www.wired.com/2013/03/att-hacker-gets-3-years/ https://www.wired.com/2013/03/att-hacker-gets-3-years/
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revolvingocelot 5y ago
This comment section full of plutonian chemistry and sketchy rocketry is the perfect place to mention Charles Stross' A Tall Tail [0], a short sci-fi story covering both. [0] https://www.tor.com/2012/07/20/a-tall-tail/ https://www.tor.com/2012/07/20/a-tall-tail/
- AceJohnny2 5y ago
  Gee! A cstross short story I haven't read!? christmas is early this year
- AceJohnny2 5y ago
  LOL, now that I've read it, I'm pretty sure Derek's blog inspired Charlie to write this story (that, or the common denominator of reading "Ignition!"). It's a great cstross "what-if" story :D
  - revolvingocelot 5y ago
    I reread it myself earlier today, and intemperately page-down'd into the comments... where I found Derek himself!! He wrote >Hah! Glad to see my “Things I Won’t Work With” series wrapped up with a nice conspiratorial bow on top. (I have to say, though, I never would have brought FOOF and dimethyl mercury together; you have a weird mind, which is a compliment you’ve probably heard before).
    - AceJohnny2 5y ago
      It's useful to know that, before he was a successful writer, and before he was a programmer for proto-online-banking in the first Dot-Com Boom, Mr Stross was a pharmacist. I'm sure that comment from Derek Lowe was high praise to him!

DylanSp 5y ago

The "How Not to Do It" category is also pretty good: https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/how-not-to-do-it https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/how-not-to-do-it. My favorite is probably https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/not-do-liquid-nitrogen-tanks https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/not-do-liquid-nitr..., on what happens when a pressured liquid nitrogen tank blows up due to the pressure relief valve being closed. I'm not sure why the "Things I Won't Work With" category/tag isn't working on the new platform; all other categories I checked seem to work, though I can't find a list of all categories.

ufo 5y ago
Looks like manually editing the URL works: https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/things-i-wont-work-with https://www.science.org/topic/blog-category/things-i-wont-wo...
- sam_goody 5y ago
  I am fairly certain it is not legal to edit the URL to get to a page on a website. People have gone to jail for this. EDIT: To be clear, I am commenting as a way of venting over the ridiculous state of affairs, not because I agree or think that science.org will send the feds after you.
  - dizzy3gg 5y ago
    Have you got any sources of this?
    - emilecantin 5y ago
      https://www.wired.com/2013/03/att-hacker-gets-3-years/ https://www.wired.com/2013/03/att-hacker-gets-3-years/

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revolvingocelot 5y ago

This comment section full of plutonian chemistry and sketchy rocketry is the perfect place to mention Charles Stross' A Tall Tail [0], a short sci-fi story covering both. [0] https://www.tor.com/2012/07/20/a-tall-tail/ https://www.tor.com/2012/07/20/a-tall-tail/

AceJohnny2 5y ago
Gee! A cstross short story I haven't read!? christmas is early this year
AceJohnny2 5y ago
LOL, now that I've read it, I'm pretty sure Derek's blog inspired Charlie to write this story (that, or the common denominator of reading "Ignition!"). It's a great cstross "what-if" story :D
- revolvingocelot 5y ago
  I reread it myself earlier today, and intemperately page-down'd into the comments... where I found Derek himself!! He wrote >Hah! Glad to see my “Things I Won’t Work With” series wrapped up with a nice conspiratorial bow on top. (I have to say, though, I never would have brought FOOF and dimethyl mercury together; you have a weird mind, which is a compliment you’ve probably heard before).
  - AceJohnny2 5y ago
    It's useful to know that, before he was a successful writer, and before he was a programmer for proto-online-banking in the first Dot-Com Boom, Mr Stross was a pharmacist. I'm sure that comment from Derek Lowe was high praise to him!