The End Draws Near....

....for 2011, at least.

I really don’t have much to add about the recent charges in the UCLA lab safety case, especially given the posts elsewhere (most of which are collected at The Safety Zone here: 1; 2; 3 ). As I can easily count the small molecule syntheses I’ve done since my undergraduate days on my hands with room to spare, I am definitely not someone who can offer hard-earned advice on safety in synthetic chemistry labs based on extensive personal experience.

I will note that – obviously due to my biological inclinations – that lab safety can be just as much as insulating your experiment from you as protecting you from any hazards. Which, given one’s perspective on human nature, might be a more effective means of motivating compliance with lab safety standards.

Onto cheerier subjects….

My plan to bring up Helmholtz when Gibbs is mentioned did not quite pan out this year. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I’ll have to be contrary in some other manner in the future.

I did get back to blogging and commenting a bit this year, and I intend to keep it up next year. While the notion of doing substantive ResearchBlogging is a reasonable one, it would entail winding back the semi-regular sarcasm a bit for thoughtful commentary. I’m not sure if my system could endure the shock. It might happen, though. Having said that, if one has any substantive questions where my thoughts might be of interest, ask away.

Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy, and productive New Year!