Have a great weekend

Another relatively chill week. Hope you had a great week and hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday. 

 

Q2 GDP growth was negative

Via the New York Times: 

A key measure of economic output fell for the second straight quarter, raising fears that the United States could be entering a recession — or perhaps that one had already begun.

Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, fell 0.2 percent in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That drop followed a decline of 0.4 percent in the first quarter. The estimates for both periods will be revised in coming months as government statisticians get more complete data.

News of the back-to-back contractions heightened a debate in Washington over whether a recession had begun and, if so, whether President Biden was to blame. Economists largely say that conditions do not meet the formal definition of a recession but that the risks of one are rising.

For most people, though, a “recession” label matters less than the economic reality: Growth is slowing, businesses are pulling back and families are having a harder time keeping up with rapidly rising prices.

I am a pretty big stickler for the NBER definition of a recession, i.e. I don't think two quarters of negative growth automatically mean we're in a recession etc etc. But nevertheless, I think I was right - hiring in the fall of 2022 will be worse than that of fall 2021 in the economy as a whole. What does that mean for chemists and hiring? I do not know. We're not seeing (yet) major news of layoffs in either pharma or the chemical industry, so that's good. We shall see...

19 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Over at Common Organic Chemistry, curated by Brian Struss, there are 19 new positions for July 23. The jobs can be viewed on the website or spreadsheet.

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

The secrets of baseball rubbing mud

Looks like a solid batch from the kilo lab
Credit: New York Times

Via the New York Times, this article about a prominent trade secret: 

LONGPORT, N.J. — A 45-gallon rubber barrel sits in a cluttered garage along the Jersey Shore, filled waist-high with what looks like the world’s least appetizing chocolate pudding. It is nothing more than icky, gooey, viscous, gelatinous mud.

Ah, but what mud. The mud that dreams are made of.

This particular mud, hauled in buckets by one man from a secret spot along a New Jersey riverbank, is singular in its ability to cut the slippery sheen of a new baseball and provide a firm grip for the pitcher hurling it at life-threatening speed toward another human standing just 60 feet and six inches away.

Tubs of the substance are found at every major league ballpark. It is rubbed into every one of the 144 to 180 balls used in every one of the 2,430 major league games played in a season, as well as those played in the postseason.

...But M.L.B. executives do not exactly get all misty-eyed over the whimsical tradition of what is called Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, which they say is too often inconsistently applied. In their quest to make balls more consistent — and the game more equitable — they have tried to come up with a substitute, even assigning chemists and engineers to develop a ball with the desired feel.

The score so far:

Lena Blackburne: 1

Major League Baseball: 0

I can't imagine that this stuff is that difficult to reproduce, but I do indeed like that it is a weird, mysterious tradition. 

(I imagine that if baseball really wanted to, it could get sufficient quantities of scientists and engineers together to reproduce this mud, or at least standardize it. How large is this secret spot, anyway? Will erosion/climate change change the composition of the mud in another 50-100 years?) 

Warning Letter of the Week: try, try again edition

In a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Bioiberica, SAU, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research notes these issues: 

1. Failure to establish written procedures to monitor the progress and control the performance of processing steps that may cause variability in the quality characteristics of your intermediates and API.

You failed to establish appropriate monitoring and controls for reworking batches of [redacted] USP, API. In 2020 and 2021, approximately 23 batches of [redacted] USP, API were reworked in your industrial [redacted] because of microbiological out-of-specification or non-conforming high [redacted], a class 3 residual solvent, content results. The use of the industrial [redacted] was not part of the established process validation for [redacted] USP, API. The investigator documented this [redacted] was used to rework multiple batches from [redacted] to as many as [redacted] times until acceptable results were obtained. No studies had been performed to establish the effectiveness of this rework step. Additionally, your industrial [redacted] was not equipped with real time [redacted] monitoring or a [redacted] summary to monitor the performance of the [redacted].

No product too holy to be reworked, folks! (Guessing that they chose to use a different piece of equipment than what they laid out earlier.) 

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 66 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 66 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On July 27, 2021, the 2022 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 40 research/teaching positions. On July 28, 2020, the 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 23 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching faculty positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Go to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Job posting: Academic Coordinator - Undergraduate Instructional Support, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA

From the inbox: 

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California Santa Barbara invites applications for a 75% Academic Coordinator 1 position for Undergraduate Instructional support with the anticipated start date of September 18, 2022. The department is looking for a qualified individual with a particular emphasis in the area of working in an academic instructional laboratory.

Responsibilities of the position will be to implement laboratory course material directives and to accurately prepare experiments for all teaching labs. The Academic Coordinator serves in a key role for the successful operations of the instructional teaching laboratories in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

The university is especially interested in applicants who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service, as appropriate to the position.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

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To submit information, click here or e-mail chembumpercars@gmail.com

CTV: One dead, three injured at Polymer Source in Montreal

Via CTV: 

An explosion at a polymer research centre Friday in the Montreal suburb of Dorval left one dead and at least three injured. 

Paramedics received a 911 call at around 11:30 a.m. for a report of an explosion. They said a 40-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, and two others were sent to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. A third worker who was injured refused to be sent to hospital. 

The explosion happened at the Polymer Source, a company that describes itself as a supplier of high-quality polymers and bio-polymers for academic and pharmaceutical and industrial research.

Three teams of paramedics responded to the scene. Firefighters were also on site. 

Reaction on Twitter indicates that this is a well-known source of research material. Condolences to the families and friends of those killed and injured. 

Water and air make hydrogen peroxide?

In this week's Chemical and Engineering News, this letter to the editor: 

Thermodynamics in hydrogen peroxide reaction

The question of whether water can form hydrogen peroxide should be answered by thermodynamics (see C&EN, June 13, 2022, page 3). If a reaction is possible (spontaneous), then the change in the Gibbs energy at constant temperature and pressure must be negative in sign. For the reaction of water with air (O2) to form hydrogen peroxide, the change in the Gibbs energy at standard temperature and pressure is positive (+116.78 kJ/mol for liquids or +136.25 kJ/mol for gases). Therefore, the production of hydrogen peroxide by reactions of water with oxygen is not possible for such laboratory conditions.

Thermodynamics never depends on any proposed reaction mechanisms, such as sprayed water droplets or the condensation of such water vapor on inert substrates.

Melvin H. Miles

St. George, Utah

Not quite sure what I think other than "gee, this seems really weird."  

Have a good weekend

I had a decent week, surprisingly so. Hope that you had a good week, and that you have a great weekend. See you on Monday! 

 

American Chemistry Council: Regional production down 0.1% in June.

Via the American Chemistry Council:  

WASHINGTON (July 21, 2022) — The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) eased by 0.1% in June following gains of 0.5% in May and 1.0% in April, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Chemical output was mixed across regions. The U.S. CPRI is measured as a three-month moving average (3MMA).

On a 3MMA basis, chemical production within segments was mixed in June. There were gains in the production of synthetic rubber, industrial gases, coatings, manufactured fibers, synthetic dyes and pigments, adhesives, other organic chemicals, crop protection chemicals, other specialty chemicals, and fertilizers. These gains were offset by lower production of plastic resins, organic chemicals, and consumer products. 

As nearly all manufactured goods are produced using chemistry in some form, manufacturing activity is an important indicator for chemical demand. Manufacturing output eased by 0.1% in June (3MMA). The 3MMA trend in manufacturing production was mixed, with gains in the output of motor vehicles, aerospace, iron and steel, oil and gas extraction, and rubber products.

Compared with June 2021, U.S. chemical production was ahead by 2.5%, a slower rate of growth than last month. Chemical production was higher than a year ago in all regions except the Gulf Coast, which was 0.5% lower. 

I would expect the high-volume chemical manufacturing industry to show signs of slowing; hopefully this doesn't spill over into employment as well. 

28 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Over at Common Organic Chemistry, curated by Brian Struss, there are 28 new positions for July 17. The jobs can be viewed on the website or spreadsheet.

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

Colorado Court of Appeals: chemistry is not speech

Via the Denver Gazette: 

A Colorado Springs man who argued the state's law against manufacturing controlled substances is unconstitutional because it infringes on the protected "speech" of chemists ran into resistance last week from the Court of Appeals.

Because chemistry is not intended to convey a message, it is not legally speech, a three-judge appellate panel concluded.

"In sum, while 'Breaking Bad' is a constitutionally protected work of art, Walter White’s production of methamphetamine wasn’t," wrote Judge Jerry N. Jones in the July 14 opinion.

Kynan S. Arnold is serving a 48-year sentence after a jury convicted him in 2011 of multiple drug charges, including possessing chemicals or supplies to manufacture a controlled substance. Authorities who searched Arnold's apartment and storage unit found a methamphetamine laboratory and other items that indicated manufacturing activity.

The Court of Appeals upheld Arnold's convictions in 2014 and again in 2020. Arnold then attempted to challenge the constitutionality of the drug law under which he was convicted. He claimed the law swept up legal forms of speech through outlawing the possession of "one or more chemicals or supplies or equipment with intent to manufacture a controlled substance."

"It chills the First Amendment rights of anyone who might consider taking up chemistry as a hobby and those who may wish to purchase, possess and use glassware to experiment, create, invent, patent or replicate existing patents," Arnold, who represented himself from prison, wrote to the Court of Appeals.

The judge's opinion is pretty interesting, especially the conclusion (emphasis mine): 

We conclude that engaging in chemistry, as Arnold characterizes it, doesn’t convey an intent to present a particularized message and therefore isn’t speech. To hold otherwise would seem to permit literally anyone to assert a facial free speech challenge to any law criminalizing almost any conduct. Moreover, it’s clear that the statute only proscribes conduct related to otherwise illegal activities: the actor must have the “intent to manufacture a controlled substance.” §  18-18-405(1)(a). 

In sum, while “Breaking Bad” is a constitutionally protected work of art, Walter White’s production of methamphetamine wasn’t.  

I guess I never thought that doing chemistry was an act of speech, but now we have some legal precedent. (If you're making thiophenols, aren't you definitely presenting a particularized message?) 

Reuters: German chemical industry running out of natural gas

Well, this isn't great news: 

BERLIN, July 19 (Reuters) - Germany's chemical industry has already done everything it can to conserve gas use, said chemical association VCI on Tuesday, which warned that the only steps left for the industry would be to scale back or abandon production altogether.

"For our companies, we are currently once again doing everything we can to exploit every last potential gas saving," said VCI's chief executive, Wolfgang Grosse Entrup.

"But there's not much more we can save, as efficiency has already been the driving force in the past few years," he added.

According to VCI, which represents about 1,900 companies, Germany's chemical and pharmaceutical industries are the country's largest gas consumer, with 15% of total consumption.

Industry leader BASF is considered Germany's largest industrial gas consumer.

VCI issued the warning and called for "a societal show of strength to conserve gas" to get through the winter unscathed as the gas supply from Russia grows increasingly uncertain.

I would really like our supply chain nightmares to end, but it doesn't really feel like it...  

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 45 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 45 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On July 20, 2021, the 2022 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 33 research/teaching positions. On July 21, 2020, the 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 18 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching faculty positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Go to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Job posting: Lecturer in Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA

From the inbox: 

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for a pool of qualified temporary lecturers to teach courses in general Chemistry 2022-2023 during the academic year, including 2022 summer session.

Main duties will include teaching courses in general chemistry and biochemistry, with the possibility of occasional upper-division teaching opportunities.

The Department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.

The use of a lecturer pool does not guarantee that an open position exists at the time you are applying. See the review date specified in UC Recruit to learn whether the department is currently reviewing applications for an upcoming opening. If there is no future review date specified, your application may not be considered at this time.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.

Chemistry Bumper Cars

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How do you make scientists more productive?

Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution asks an interesting question: 

For instance, the management of science is a radically underappreciated issue. How many managers of scientific labs receive any management training at all, even in the basics? On a scale of 1 to 10, how well are most labs or non-profit scientific ventures run? I’ve asked a number of people in the hard and biological sciences this question, and more often a laugh is the response, rather than a citation of a very specific number. I’ve never heard anyone say they are run just great.

On the other side of the market, the rest of us are failing too. In our social discourse, we have not elevated better scientific management as a social priority. This could be done in our universities, non-profits, research labs, government agencies, and of course in the private sector too. It’s not a sexy policy issue, but science is one of the most significant means for improving society. In the language of finance, you could say that science is a major source of social alpha.

You should probably read the whole post, which is here. 

I broadly think that Professor Cowen is onto something, in the sense that "since we give out all this public funding for science, shouldn't we try to improve the amount that we get over time?" That's a reasonable question, even if I think the answers are completely unknowable. 

Here's the thing - I don't think anyone knows how to get more "productivity" out of scientists at all. I know plenty of ways to get scientists to get less innovative and less productivity. Stress them out, make them subject to randomly changing short-term goals, make them write lots of reports, and you'll soon have a poorly performng scientific organization. 

More productivity? I have no idea. Give them lots of freedom (i.e. don't tell them how to do things, just what the goal is (but not too narrow!) and just enough resources (i.e. I'm not completely convinced that lavishly funded teams work better.) That's all I got. (Maybe "make them interact with people from other fields routinely.") 

Readers, your thoughts? 

C&EN: Showa Denko, SK considering speciality gas manufacturing in the US

In this week's Chemical and Engineering News, this article by Craig Bettenhausen: 

Showa Denko and SK are exploring plans to produce specialty gases for the US semiconductor industry. Showa Denko is a top global producer of chip-etching gases, and SK has a similarly strong position in cleaning and deposition gases. The firms, which already work together in South Korea on the etching gas CH3F, are active in the US market through imports. But import logistics have been strained, and the firms say a lot of new semiconductor production is planned for North America in the coming years.

It's really interesting to see the shifts in semiconductor manufacturing... 

Have a good weekend

A week of some inconvenience, but real work accomplished as well. I hope that you had a good week, and that you have a great weekend and the sun is shining where you are. See you on Monday. 

Tell your work friend you appreciate them today

Via the New York Times, this lovely and fun article: 

Mollie West Duffy and Liz Fosslien, the authors of “Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay,” have created a typology of workplace friends. There’s the confidant, who can be entrusted with any secret; there’s the inspiration, also known as a platonic work crush; there’s the frenemy, who can stir up competitive feelings but also push for your success. (The authors’ own relationship, born of a mutual friend, was deepened when they realized how much they enjoyed writing and illustrating together.)

What holds true across all these types is the growth that a work friend can support. High school and college friends see each other through parties, family feuds, crushes and coming-of-age. But work friends see each other through the world of ideas. And they can be easier to find early in a career.

“The ties you make in your 20s tend to withstand the life changes that happen in your 30s,” Ms. West Duffy said.

It would be interesting to know if the friends that a chemist makes in late undergrad and graduate school are of more lasting stuff than those formed later in life. I definitely have and have had work friends, and they are pretty wonderful relationships. If you have one, send them a note of appreciation today.  

39 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Over at Common Organic Chemistry, curated by Brian Struss, there are 39 new positions for July 12. The jobs can be viewed on the website or spreadsheet.

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

Interesting profile of Kate the Chemist

Via the New York Times: 

The dream is Vegas.

“Don’t make fun of me,” said Kate Biberdorf, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, “but it would be a live show in Vegas where it’s a science show.”

That is not a typical aspiration of someone who teaches chemistry to undergraduates. For Dr. Biberdorf — better known as Kate the Chemist — that dream is part of her goal to capture the fun of scientific exploration and to entice children, especially girls, to consider science as their life’s calling.

“When I’m happiest is when I’m onstage sharing what I love,” she said.

She’s thinking of a big spectacle, like the long-running magic shows of David Copperfield at MGM Grand or Penn & Teller at Rio Las Vegas. “If we can convince people to go to science shows when on vacation,” she added, not entirely convinced herself.

That's a pretty cool idea. I've no idea of the economics behind shows in Vegas, i.e. I believe that you have to have quite a following (from Sinatra forward) in order to get a big booking, but gee, she is quite popular. 

(this is my general complaint about science communication as an employment field - it's basically an adjunct of the entertainment industry (an important one), but that means that it's subject to labor tournament economics, where there are 5 people who make a really good living (Bill Nye, etc), 3-10% people who make a middle-income living (your authors and folks who show up on the Tonight Show, etc), and then 90% of entrants who struggle/have science communication as a side gig. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the way I feel.) 

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 36 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 36 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On July 13, 2021, the 2022 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 26 research/teaching positions. On July 14, 2020, the 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 12 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching faculty positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Go to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Chemistry Bumper Cars

Check out the latest moves here! 

To submit information, click here or e-mail chembumpercars@gmail.com

How many US-born PhD physical scientists have parents with graduate degrees?

Via Marginal Revolution, this economics working paper: 

Our analysis of the SED data shows that economics is even more unrepresentative by socioeconomic background than the average PhD field. Among US-born PhD recipients over 2010–18, 65 percent of economics PhD recipients had at least one parent with a graduate degree, compared with 50 percent across all PhD fields (and 29 percent for the population of US-born BA recipients over the same period). At the other end of the spectrum, only 14 percent of US-born economics PhD recipients in 2010–18 were first-generation college graduates, compared with 26 percent across all PhD fields (and 44 percent among all US-born BA recipients). This makes economics the least socioeconomically diverse of any major field for US-born PhD recipients. 

I think it's interesting to see that PhD physical scientists* born in the US (and not born in the US!) are in the middle of the pack for parents with a graduate degree. Not sure what I would have believed before I saw the data, but it's not a surprise to see It would be really interesting to understand how many PhD chemists had PhD chemists as parents... 

*most likely includes chemistry (the largest category), geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences, physics and astronomy

Have a great weekend

A more chill short week than I was expecting. Hope that you have a great, relaxed weekend. See you on Monday. 

(P.S. RIP James Caan.) 

From years past: "Where are the Jobs?"

From random clicking on the ACS website, this cri de coeur from November 1972 (Environmental Science & Technology, 1972 6 (12), 958-959)

Where are the Jobs?

Dear Sir:

The articles, “New skills for out-of-work engineers” and “Jobs in the environmental field,” (es&t, April and August, 1972, respectively) have been of particular interest to our organization, the Association of Technical Professionals. The atp, consisting of employed, underemployed, and unemployed technical professionals, was formed in 1971 in the Boston area in response to the critical and continuing unemployment problem among our colleagues. 

Our scope includes both immediate assistance to the unemployed and a critical study of long-range national policies and priorities that affect the productive utilization of technically trained manpower.

Professor Daniel Okun (Letter to the editor, ES&T, June 1972) has expressed a point of view that has hindered many well-qualified former aerospace technical professionals in obtaining employment—that they (a) are less competent than the employed, and (b) cannot possibly cope with new applications of their skills unless properly  certified by an accredited academic institution. This narrow, self-serving viewpoint was eloquently rebutted by Lawrence Slote (ES&T, August 1972). 

It is our observation that universities have been the principal beneficiaries of federally funded retraining programs, which have cost millions to train a few, only a fraction of whom have found jobs at the completion of their courses. Thus far, the opportunity for retraining has been offered to about 1 or 2% of the unemployed technical professionals. 

Professor Okun’s protestations about the quality of retraining are probably irrelevant. The plain fact of the matter is that the jobs simply are not there. We have heard inflated projections of demands for technical professionals in environmental sciences and other fields for the past several years, but they have failed to materialize in any significant way. 

We will not be able to absorb productively our technical manpower resources until there is a change in national priorities to create a market for their services. As an overworked but appropriate analogy, we “put a man on the moon” by virtue of a firm national commitment in both will and dollars. There was then a market for technical talent. No one inquired whether a PhD chemist had been retrained in space sciences. The technical professionals working on those programs created space sciences.

No such national commitment to environmental quality in an expanding economy is in prospect. In fact, the real EPA budget for fiscal 1973 has been reduced from that in 1972. Until we are willing to devote the same resources to the quality of life as we have to space and defense, all the retraining programs for nonexistent jobs will be merely window dressing for political rhetoric.

S. P. Jones

Association of Technical Professionals

Cambridge, Mass. 02142

It's good to know that these kinds of concerns have been with us for a long time, and that the projections of economists and other seers-into-the-future often fail to materialize. 

24 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Over at Common Organic Chemistry, curated by Brian Struss, there are 24 new positions for July 3. The jobs can be viewed on the website or spreadsheet.

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

Calculated Risk is NOT on recession watch

Denizens of this blog from many years ago will know that I hold Bill McBride of Calculated Risk in high regard. Many folks have their favorite economist that "called" the Great Recession, but I really like McBride's data-driven approach (and yes, he and his former co-blogger, Tanta called the Great Recession). Here's his latest comment on a potential recession (emphasis his): 

Employment is currently off about 0.5% from the pre-recession peak (dashed line).  This is a significant improvement from off 14.4% in April 2020.

Employment is still 822 thousand below pre-pandemic levels.

And the second graph is for real personal income excluding transfer payments through May 2022.

Real personal income less transfer payments was at an all-time peak in May 2022.

These graphs are useful in trying to identify peaks and troughs in economic activity - and neither are suggesting a recession.

Note: See: Predicting the Next Recession.  I'm not currently on recession watch.

I've definitely called 10 of the last two recessions, and so this makes me dial back a touch. I still think "the chemical and pharmaceutical companies will continue hiring in fall 2022, but less than fall 2021."  

C&EN: German chemical sector will continue to have natural gas shortages

In this week's C&EN, this news (article by Alex Scott, emphasis mine):

The German government is calling on shippers to voluntarily increase their supply of natural gas to the country and on users to reduce their consumption of it after Russia’s tightening of supply to Europe. Russia has threatened to cut all gas exports to “unfriendly” countries. If that occurs, the chemical sector in Germany—and elsewhere in Europe—“would face serious difficulties,” as it is one of the most energy-intensive and gas-reliant industries, the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service states in a new report. 

Under emergency protocols in Germany and other countries, including the UK, households and critical infrastructure would be allocated gas ahead of the chemical industry. BASF consumes about 4% of Germany’s natural gas. The chemical maker warned in March that it would have to shut down facilities if gas supplies failed to meet at least half its needs. BASF now expects already-high gas prices to rise further. “In a scenario of reduced gas availability, European chemicals producers could face at least two winters with tight gas supplies,” Moody’s states.

Seems bad! Don't know if there's anything that will resolve this soon...  

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 26 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 26 research/teaching positions and 1 teaching position. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On July 6, 2021, the 2022 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 22 research/teaching positions. On July 7, 2020, the 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 9 research/teaching positions and two teaching faculty positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Go to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Independence Day

Monday is the observation of the July 4 Independence Day holiday in the United States - we'll see you Tuesday morning.

Have a good weekend

Well, this was quite a week! I had a lot of fun, and I worked pretty hard, and managed to travel the length of the country. I hope that you had as good of a week as I, and I hope that you have a wonderful Independence Day weekend. We'll see you on Tuesday. 

A minor tech rant

I have a Lenovo T480s, and I like it a lot. It has been with me across the country and around the world, and it has treated me well over the years. Recently, it has displayed some problematic charging issues (especially after a Windows 11 "upgrade") and it's also had some difficulties starting. It will hang on the "Lenovo" boot screen. 

That instability is going to drive me to purchase a new laptop, and probably another Lenovo. It's the price of doing business, and one that I will begrudgingly pay. 

What I don't understand is how difficult it has been to find fixes to some of the problems I have experienced, and how I seem to be reliant/I am resorting to searching Reddit threads to see if someone else has run into this problem. Even the various user forums sometimes are no match for the bajillion copycat websites attempting to Get My Clicks when I type "Lenovo t480s charging problems Windows 11" into Google. 

(For that record, Google is not what it used to be, and I feel like I need to start using quote marks more and more to avoid stupid ridiculous helpful AI-driven suggestions for my search terms. I quail to think about the difficulty of migrating my email and blogs away from Google/Alphabet in my dotage...) 

Well, that's enough ranting. I wish I knew what to do other than fork over another $1600....