Laura 💚🇿🇦
@lauravlaeren.bsky.social
Technically a doctor but not the useful kind. Chemistry PhD turned medical writer. Hyper-fixating weirdo online. Reader, crafter, writer. No work stuff, just vibes. 🏳️🌈 (she/they)
Pinned
Laura 💚🇿🇦
@lauravlaeren.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Fair warning to anyone following, I no longer post about chemistry stuff, although that's probably how you go to know me originally over on the other place. Feel free to hang around if you wanna see me talk about life stuff, book stuff, crafty stuff and the rest.
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
I have Issues with the concept of writers block, such that I wrote a post on it. kjcharleswriter.com/2019/11/13/w...
There are a ton of things you can do if you're struggling to write, and none of them require using the theft-based environment-ruining plagiarism machine.
There are a ton of things you can do if you're struggling to write, and none of them require using the theft-based environment-ruining plagiarism machine.
People who aren’t writers think writer’s block is at least as big and real a problem as I thought quicksand would be, as a child.
AI can help authors beat writer’s block, says Bloomsbury chief
Publisher last week reported jump in revenue in academic and professional arm thanks to AI licensing deal
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:52 AM
I have Issues with the concept of writers block, such that I wrote a post on it. kjcharleswriter.com/2019/11/13/w...
There are a ton of things you can do if you're struggling to write, and none of them require using the theft-based environment-ruining plagiarism machine.
There are a ton of things you can do if you're struggling to write, and none of them require using the theft-based environment-ruining plagiarism machine.
Me to other people: I love that my job challenges me and that I'm always learning new things!
Me being challenged and having to learn new things: Fuck
Me being challenged and having to learn new things: Fuck
October 28, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Me to other people: I love that my job challenges me and that I'm always learning new things!
Me being challenged and having to learn new things: Fuck
Me being challenged and having to learn new things: Fuck
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
"i just use AI for-" say no more, i already think less of you
August 3, 2025 at 12:35 AM
"i just use AI for-" say no more, i already think less of you
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
File naming conventions tell me a lot about other people
June 24, 2025 at 11:55 AM
File naming conventions tell me a lot about other people
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
Computers used to scream every time they connected to the Internet. They knew. They tried to warn us. We did not listen.
June 22, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Computers used to scream every time they connected to the Internet. They knew. They tried to warn us. We did not listen.
Another egregious error from Microsoft Word
June 24, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Another egregious error from Microsoft Word
Happy ghasts! 👻
New Minecraft Snapshot: 25w15a https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-snapshot-25w15a
April 8, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Happy ghasts! 👻
scientific publishing is fun because you write a 3000 word article describing years of work but nobody has time to read it so you write a 250 word abstract summarizing the key points but nobody has time to read it so you make a graphical abstract to hopefully catch someone's interest
April 8, 2025 at 7:36 AM
scientific publishing is fun because you write a 3000 word article describing years of work but nobody has time to read it so you write a 250 word abstract summarizing the key points but nobody has time to read it so you make a graphical abstract to hopefully catch someone's interest
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
I got a lot of hate last year for posting something similar in regards to April fools but I am once again asking you to please be considerate of your neurodivergent friends who may not get the joke or are stressed out by the threat of not catching into pranks.
March 31, 2025 at 10:04 AM
I got a lot of hate last year for posting something similar in regards to April fools but I am once again asking you to please be considerate of your neurodivergent friends who may not get the joke or are stressed out by the threat of not catching into pranks.
Fuck off Samsung, I'm literally sick right now
March 7, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Fuck off Samsung, I'm literally sick right now
After years of promising myself I'm going to do it, I finally did the free birthday trip with the cable car up Table Mountain!
March 4, 2025 at 5:29 PM
After years of promising myself I'm going to do it, I finally did the free birthday trip with the cable car up Table Mountain!
I dunno what this boat's deal is...
March 3, 2025 at 12:45 PM
I dunno what this boat's deal is...
Pretty good birthday weekend 💖💜💙
March 2, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Pretty good birthday weekend 💖💜💙
Cape Town Pride, always filled with good vibes ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜
March 1, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Cape Town Pride, always filled with good vibes ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜
I'm 200 000 words into a WIP fic and they FINALLY had their first kiss after 47 chapters of platonic marriage-of-convenience, so I've found the upper level of what I'm willing to tolerate in terms of slow burn 🤣
February 12, 2025 at 12:53 PM
I'm 200 000 words into a WIP fic and they FINALLY had their first kiss after 47 chapters of platonic marriage-of-convenience, so I've found the upper level of what I'm willing to tolerate in terms of slow burn 🤣
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
"How do we know where to draw the line, and when it is time to resist?"
This Viewpoint discusses scientific, medical, and public health actions taken so far during the first week of the administration.
ja.ma/4gmik0x
#MedSky
This Viewpoint discusses scientific, medical, and public health actions taken so far during the first week of the administration.
ja.ma/4gmik0x
#MedSky
January 31, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"How do we know where to draw the line, and when it is time to resist?"
This Viewpoint discusses scientific, medical, and public health actions taken so far during the first week of the administration.
ja.ma/4gmik0x
#MedSky
This Viewpoint discusses scientific, medical, and public health actions taken so far during the first week of the administration.
ja.ma/4gmik0x
#MedSky
January reading wrap-up
January 31, 2025 at 2:20 PM
January reading wrap-up
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
Whenever the media or transphobes talk about mental health and suicide rates of trans kids, they are always deliberately concealing the fact that trans healthcare brings trans kids to the same place as cis kids on these things
January 30, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Whenever the media or transphobes talk about mental health and suicide rates of trans kids, they are always deliberately concealing the fact that trans healthcare brings trans kids to the same place as cis kids on these things
My toxic trait is forever wondering why the hell my back hurts, then realising that I'm using my computer at a 90 degree angle.
January 30, 2025 at 9:30 AM
My toxic trait is forever wondering why the hell my back hurts, then realising that I'm using my computer at a 90 degree angle.
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
I understand that ChatGPT is down and fortunately this is not a problem for me as I have spent considerable time developing a local language model that I am able to run autonomously, fueled by Coke Zero and snacks
January 23, 2025 at 4:18 PM
I understand that ChatGPT is down and fortunately this is not a problem for me as I have spent considerable time developing a local language model that I am able to run autonomously, fueled by Coke Zero and snacks
It's hard to be productive when it's 30 °C in your office 😭🥵
January 22, 2025 at 12:30 PM
It's hard to be productive when it's 30 °C in your office 😭🥵
Reposted by Laura 💚🇿🇦
Word of day is ‘unasinous’ (17th century): united in stupidity.
A riff on ‘unanimous’: which comes from the Latin for ‘one mind’. ‘Unasinous’ means ‘one ass’.
A riff on ‘unanimous’: which comes from the Latin for ‘one mind’. ‘Unasinous’ means ‘one ass’.
January 22, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Word of day is ‘unasinous’ (17th century): united in stupidity.
A riff on ‘unanimous’: which comes from the Latin for ‘one mind’. ‘Unasinous’ means ‘one ass’.
A riff on ‘unanimous’: which comes from the Latin for ‘one mind’. ‘Unasinous’ means ‘one ass’.
If you went to college
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
1) forensic scientist
2) chemical biology
3) n/a
4) medical writer
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
1) forensic scientist
2) chemical biology
3) n/a
4) medical writer
If you went to college
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
1) physician
2) biology
3) biochemistry
4) weirdo chemist/businessbot
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
1) physician
2) biology
3) biochemistry
4) weirdo chemist/businessbot
If you went to college
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
I am a noted weirdo but:
1) physicist
2) physics
3) n/a
4) physicist
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
I am a noted weirdo but:
1) physicist
2) physics
3) n/a
4) physicist
January 22, 2025 at 6:06 AM
If you went to college
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
1) forensic scientist
2) chemical biology
3) n/a
4) medical writer
1. what was your career goal when you started?
2. your initial major?
3. if you changed majors, what did you change to?
4. what do you do now, professionally?
1) forensic scientist
2) chemical biology
3) n/a
4) medical writer