Justin Brower
@naturespoisons.bsky.social
Forensic Toxicologist, PhD Organic Chemist & Prince of Poisons. Writing NATURE'S POISONS, the science & history of nature's most vicious creations (WW Norton, 2025). Also into gardening, fountain pens, photography, and 3D printing. NaturesPoisons.com
Pinned
Justin Brower
@naturespoisons.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Count me as one more leaving toxic Twitter! I pretty much disappeared 2 years ago, but I miss the good people, telling tales of poisons, and science communication, as well as my other dorky interests. So follow along if you like!
Reposted by Justin Brower
It's time for Tox Tuesday and some fountain pen structures! This beast is BREVETOXIN-1, produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. It is also the cause of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). But aside from harming humans, it also harms our economy, so buckle up!
March 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
It's time for Tox Tuesday and some fountain pen structures! This beast is BREVETOXIN-1, produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. It is also the cause of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). But aside from harming humans, it also harms our economy, so buckle up!
It's time for Tox Tuesday and some fountain pen structures! This beast is BREVETOXIN-1, produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. It is also the cause of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). But aside from harming humans, it also harms our economy, so buckle up!
March 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
It's time for Tox Tuesday and some fountain pen structures! This beast is BREVETOXIN-1, produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. It is also the cause of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). But aside from harming humans, it also harms our economy, so buckle up!
Reposted by Justin Brower
No Tox Tuesday today, sorry. But here's a Fountain Pen & Ink structure. I had an awesome poem to go along with it, but there were too many characters 😔. Amanitin is the toxin of "Death Cap" mushrooms ☠️
March 4, 2025 at 1:17 PM
No Tox Tuesday today, sorry. But here's a Fountain Pen & Ink structure. I had an awesome poem to go along with it, but there were too many characters 😔. Amanitin is the toxin of "Death Cap" mushrooms ☠️
Happy Mardis Gras! I got the baby from the king cake.
March 4, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Happy Mardis Gras! I got the baby from the king cake.
No Tox Tuesday today, sorry. But here's a Fountain Pen & Ink structure. I had an awesome poem to go along with it, but there were too many characters 😔. Amanitin is the toxin of "Death Cap" mushrooms ☠️
March 4, 2025 at 1:17 PM
No Tox Tuesday today, sorry. But here's a Fountain Pen & Ink structure. I had an awesome poem to go along with it, but there were too many characters 😔. Amanitin is the toxin of "Death Cap" mushrooms ☠️
I live in hurricane country, but we've got an imbecile with a Sharpie in charge, so I feel OK.
February 28, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I live in hurricane country, but we've got an imbecile with a Sharpie in charge, so I feel OK.
Reposted by Justin Brower
Happy Tox Tuesday (with a fountain pen & ink later)!
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
February 25, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Happy Tox Tuesday (with a fountain pen & ink later)!
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
Happy Tox Tuesday (with a fountain pen & ink later)!
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
February 25, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Happy Tox Tuesday (with a fountain pen & ink later)!
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
Science evolves, and thanks to advances in research and technology, what we believed true years ago may not hold true today. And that's OK, that's science. But sometimes we get things horribly wrong, which is how A SCIENTIST STOLE MY ROOTBEER. 🧵
Adventures in Fountain Pens. I hope I don't have court next week, I'll look sillier than usual. First, when I raise my left hand because I can never remember, and then when this hand goes up 🙃
February 23, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Adventures in Fountain Pens. I hope I don't have court next week, I'll look sillier than usual. First, when I raise my left hand because I can never remember, and then when this hand goes up 🙃
Good morning, Nerds. It's one of those days - covered in blankets with hot tea and a cool book.
February 23, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Good morning, Nerds. It's one of those days - covered in blankets with hot tea and a cool book.
The first two books in the series I'm reading had section breaks like * * * * * and the third one I'm reading the breaks are like ______. I don't like it; I'm not taking this change well.
February 20, 2025 at 10:42 PM
The first two books in the series I'm reading had section breaks like * * * * * and the third one I'm reading the breaks are like ______. I don't like it; I'm not taking this change well.
It snowed and the roads are covered in ice, so I messaged work and told them all that I couldn't make it into work today. I work from home. Let's see who figures it out first.
February 20, 2025 at 12:31 PM
It snowed and the roads are covered in ice, so I messaged work and told them all that I couldn't make it into work today. I work from home. Let's see who figures it out first.
I've seen the name John Doe at least a thousand times in my work. This had me believing I'd meet at least one, but I haven't. Not trying to start a conspiracy theory, but something is going on here.
February 19, 2025 at 11:45 PM
I've seen the name John Doe at least a thousand times in my work. This had me believing I'd meet at least one, but I haven't. Not trying to start a conspiracy theory, but something is going on here.
And to my surprise, it is actually snowing! This part of NC just doesn't have the resources or infrastructure to deal with snow and ice, so we really will be shut down this week.
February 19, 2025 at 9:10 PM
And to my surprise, it is actually snowing! This part of NC just doesn't have the resources or infrastructure to deal with snow and ice, so we really will be shut down this week.
We can't wait that long
"NASA has upgraded the risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 to 3.1 per cent, or about a 1-in-32 chance, the highest odds yet of collision." 🧪
Odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 have reached new high
Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but as astronomers make more observations about its trajectory, the odds of a collision seem to be increasing
www.newscientist.com
February 19, 2025 at 2:10 PM
We can't wait that long
Reposted by Justin Brower
By popular vote, today's Tox Tuesday and Fountain Pen & Ink Poison is T-2 MYCOTOXIN. It has a fascinating history and mechanism of action and is involved in a Cold War conspiracy theory that leads us toward....bee poop. It may be long, so grab some hot cocoa.
February 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM
By popular vote, today's Tox Tuesday and Fountain Pen & Ink Poison is T-2 MYCOTOXIN. It has a fascinating history and mechanism of action and is involved in a Cold War conspiracy theory that leads us toward....bee poop. It may be long, so grab some hot cocoa.
Schools are already closed and the Governor has declared a state of emergency. It's 51 degrees and sunny.
The weather guessers predict up to 7" of snow Wednesday in Raleigh. That means we'll get 1/32" and the entire state of NC shut down for a week.
February 18, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Schools are already closed and the Governor has declared a state of emergency. It's 51 degrees and sunny.
By popular vote, today's Tox Tuesday and Fountain Pen & Ink Poison is T-2 MYCOTOXIN. It has a fascinating history and mechanism of action and is involved in a Cold War conspiracy theory that leads us toward....bee poop. It may be long, so grab some hot cocoa.
February 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM
By popular vote, today's Tox Tuesday and Fountain Pen & Ink Poison is T-2 MYCOTOXIN. It has a fascinating history and mechanism of action and is involved in a Cold War conspiracy theory that leads us toward....bee poop. It may be long, so grab some hot cocoa.
What do y'all want to hear about for Tox Tuesday? The science, history, and toxin related to:
1. Bee poop
2. Mutant fish
3. Root Beer
4. Weaponized algae
1. Bee poop
2. Mutant fish
3. Root Beer
4. Weaponized algae
February 18, 2025 at 1:50 PM
What do y'all want to hear about for Tox Tuesday? The science, history, and toxin related to:
1. Bee poop
2. Mutant fish
3. Root Beer
4. Weaponized algae
1. Bee poop
2. Mutant fish
3. Root Beer
4. Weaponized algae
It's gonna be a long week, again, so I cooked a weeks worth of comfort food, mapo tofu. I can't feel my tongue, which is just how I like my Sichuan foods, lol
February 17, 2025 at 9:55 PM
It's gonna be a long week, again, so I cooked a weeks worth of comfort food, mapo tofu. I can't feel my tongue, which is just how I like my Sichuan foods, lol
For those of us in the US, A THOUSAND BLOWS, airs on Hulu, Friday 2/21. It looks like it will be a fun watch.
It's #AThousandBlows week! Friday, Disney+
It's also the run up to #BritishScienceWeek and I'm very busy staying focused in my Actual Job 😅
Hope you enjoy! Tell me if you like it
Remember it's not a documentary
Shout at Steven Knight if you don't, it's his show ;)
metro.co.uk/2025/02/15/i...
It's also the run up to #BritishScienceWeek and I'm very busy staying focused in my Actual Job 😅
Hope you enjoy! Tell me if you like it
Remember it's not a documentary
Shout at Steven Knight if you don't, it's his show ;)
metro.co.uk/2025/02/15/i...
February 16, 2025 at 11:19 PM
For those of us in the US, A THOUSAND BLOWS, airs on Hulu, Friday 2/21. It looks like it will be a fun watch.
New additions - fountain pen and crab - to the Crab Army. (Pen is a Jinhao 82 in Peacock Blue and gold crab is sadly not made of gold. Rather, it is 3D-printed.)
February 16, 2025 at 11:01 PM
New additions - fountain pen and crab - to the Crab Army. (Pen is a Jinhao 82 in Peacock Blue and gold crab is sadly not made of gold. Rather, it is 3D-printed.)
New fountain pen and ink day (my sole birthday present to myself)! This is domoic acid, the toxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning. It's also the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS.
February 16, 2025 at 10:44 PM
New fountain pen and ink day (my sole birthday present to myself)! This is domoic acid, the toxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning. It's also the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS.
The striped pajama squid are one of the few organisms that are both venomous AND poisonous. They can inject tetrodotoxin with their tiny teeth, and they secrete a poisonous slime when threatened to deter predators. So don't let it bite you and don't bite it. Besides, it's super cute.
February 16, 2025 at 9:15 PM
The striped pajama squid are one of the few organisms that are both venomous AND poisonous. They can inject tetrodotoxin with their tiny teeth, and they secrete a poisonous slime when threatened to deter predators. So don't let it bite you and don't bite it. Besides, it's super cute.
The weather guessers predict up to 7" of snow Wednesday in Raleigh. That means we'll get 1/32" and the entire state of NC shut down for a week.
February 16, 2025 at 8:19 PM
The weather guessers predict up to 7" of snow Wednesday in Raleigh. That means we'll get 1/32" and the entire state of NC shut down for a week.