Patrick Thomson
@patrickthomson.bsky.social
Chemistry Education (introductory lab inquiry, anxiety, secondary project work), University of Strathclyde. SFHEA, gamer, scot, DIY, usually not on fire.
Pinned
We did an open-access thing! Prelabs, what instructors (you) typically do in them, and what y'all think about them! Now with added "Outwith". pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... with @edinburghchem.bsky.social colleagues Ben and Mairi, @chemistryncl.bsky.social Cristina, and @annajkirkham.bsky.social !
"Not impacting the student experience" my arse. The IAD, like any Academic Development, compounds investment in the student experience by making researchers marginally less shit at teaching. They're also how I ended up in my current career.
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
Excl: Edinburgh University begins compulsory layoffs with department set to be axed
Seven staff in the Instute for Academic Development are set to lose their jobs when the department closes
thetab.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:40 AM
"Not impacting the student experience" my arse. The IAD, like any Academic Development, compounds investment in the student experience by making researchers marginally less shit at teaching. They're also how I ended up in my current career.
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
Oh GREAT, the one transformation that our introductory organic teaching says we can't easily do in one step.
Maloney and Fier at it again this time with a neat concept for a one-reagent acid to aldehyde reduction
#OrgLettASAP #MerckChemistry #ChemSky
#OrgLettASAP #MerckChemistry #ChemSky
Reagent for the Chemoselective Reduction of Carboxylic Acids to Aldehydes
We report the development of a multifunctional reagent for the direct conversion of carboxylic acids to aldehydes under mild conditions and with exquisite chemoselectivity. These reactions proceed in aqueous solvent at room temperature in 20 min, can be done open to air, require no metal catalysts, and employ near-stoichiometric amounts of both reducing agent and a mild base. No over-reduction, epimerization, or reduction of other reducible functional groups is observed. With this reagent, a broad scope of complex, drug-like aryl and alkyl carboxylic acids can be reduced directly to aldehydes.
pubs.acs.org
October 23, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Oh GREAT, the one transformation that our introductory organic teaching says we can't easily do in one step.
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
We’re just innocent men
October 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
We’re just innocent men
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Higher Ed in 2025 is opening your mailbox to see that your institution has sent you:
1. A Center for Teaching and Learning call to integrate AI into your classroom; and
2. An Office of Academic Integrity email encouraging you to crack down on students who use AI to cheat.
1. A Center for Teaching and Learning call to integrate AI into your classroom; and
2. An Office of Academic Integrity email encouraging you to crack down on students who use AI to cheat.
October 10, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Higher Ed in 2025 is opening your mailbox to see that your institution has sent you:
1. A Center for Teaching and Learning call to integrate AI into your classroom; and
2. An Office of Academic Integrity email encouraging you to crack down on students who use AI to cheat.
1. A Center for Teaching and Learning call to integrate AI into your classroom; and
2. An Office of Academic Integrity email encouraging you to crack down on students who use AI to cheat.
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Rest in peace to Jane Goodall, whose tireless advocacy for primates has brought us closer than ever to the Planet of the Apes becoming a terrifying reality
October 1, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Rest in peace to Jane Goodall, whose tireless advocacy for primates has brought us closer than ever to the Planet of the Apes becoming a terrifying reality
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Heartfelt thanks to the Scottish parliament for keeping its political disasters on a level I can actually tolerate.
September 19, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Heartfelt thanks to the Scottish parliament for keeping its political disasters on a level I can actually tolerate.
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.
September 19, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.
Me, begrudgingly dressing for academic processions: www.instagram.com/reel/DNwz2nH...
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September 19, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Me, begrudgingly dressing for academic processions: www.instagram.com/reel/DNwz2nH...
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Congratulations to all the shows that won Emmys, they sound cool, I’ll definitely check them out when I’m done watching 500 episodes of Antiques Roadshow
September 15, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Congratulations to all the shows that won Emmys, they sound cool, I’ll definitely check them out when I’m done watching 500 episodes of Antiques Roadshow
Yes! I've been saying this for years, AI can at best be an accelerator for expertise; using it without any is utter folly. Teach it critically, to graduates.
There's a small thread on my timeline about calculators (I don't want to rope the folks on that thread into this) and I think it illustrates something about LLMs quite clearly. (1/n)
September 8, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Yes! I've been saying this for years, AI can at best be an accelerator for expertise; using it without any is utter folly. Teach it critically, to graduates.
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
Outstanding news that should be shared.
September 4, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Outstanding news that should be shared.
Update: I am on the way to Liverpool and I did not do the shirt thing.
Seriously considering printing up a custom shirt for @vicephec.bsky.social that just says "Do your SFHEA already", figure I'll probably end up Orient Expressed by about 25% of the delegates.
August 27, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Update: I am on the way to Liverpool and I did not do the shirt thing.
If anyone's heading over/up/down to @vicephec.bsky.social next week, check out the presentation by Strathclyde student sgchem.bsky.social , who used TikTok to punch up our prelabs! Previously of the YouTube Paper fame, with @lemackz.bsky.social royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Scott Gardner (@sgchem.bsky.social)
sgchem.bsky.social
August 18, 2025 at 1:46 PM
If anyone's heading over/up/down to @vicephec.bsky.social next week, check out the presentation by Strathclyde student sgchem.bsky.social , who used TikTok to punch up our prelabs! Previously of the YouTube Paper fame, with @lemackz.bsky.social royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
We did an open-access thing! Prelabs, what instructors (you) typically do in them, and what y'all think about them! Now with added "Outwith". pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... with @edinburghchem.bsky.social colleagues Ben and Mairi, @chemistryncl.bsky.social Cristina, and @annajkirkham.bsky.social !
August 15, 2025 at 6:43 PM
We did an open-access thing! Prelabs, what instructors (you) typically do in them, and what y'all think about them! Now with added "Outwith". pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... with @edinburghchem.bsky.social colleagues Ben and Mairi, @chemistryncl.bsky.social Cristina, and @annajkirkham.bsky.social !
Reposted by Patrick Thomson
For those arriving for satellite activities, #ViCEPHEC25 is just two weeks away. If you haven't already, this is another great opportunity to follow the conference starter pack.
Get in touch if you'd like to be added to this - it is a work in progress. go.bsky.app/FffPieC
Get in touch if you'd like to be added to this - it is a work in progress. go.bsky.app/FffPieC
August 13, 2025 at 8:46 AM
For those arriving for satellite activities, #ViCEPHEC25 is just two weeks away. If you haven't already, this is another great opportunity to follow the conference starter pack.
Get in touch if you'd like to be added to this - it is a work in progress. go.bsky.app/FffPieC
Get in touch if you'd like to be added to this - it is a work in progress. go.bsky.app/FffPieC
We are fitting our own kitchen (not the royal we! Marrying an engineer has some benefits) and I actually used Duct Tape to Tape up a Duct and I've never been more devastated to realise I was previously stupid.
August 12, 2025 at 3:40 PM
We are fitting our own kitchen (not the royal we! Marrying an engineer has some benefits) and I actually used Duct Tape to Tape up a Duct and I've never been more devastated to realise I was previously stupid.
Seriously considering printing up a custom shirt for @vicephec.bsky.social that just says "Do your SFHEA already", figure I'll probably end up Orient Expressed by about 25% of the delegates.
August 8, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Seriously considering printing up a custom shirt for @vicephec.bsky.social that just says "Do your SFHEA already", figure I'll probably end up Orient Expressed by about 25% of the delegates.
The @advancehe.bsky.social awards are out - congrats to new chemistry #NationalTeachingFellow @drkevinmorgan.bsky.social ! And recognition for @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social "We are Chemistry" team in the #CATE.
August 7, 2025 at 8:23 AM
The @advancehe.bsky.social awards are out - congrats to new chemistry #NationalTeachingFellow @drkevinmorgan.bsky.social ! And recognition for @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social "We are Chemistry" team in the #CATE.
With the decline of paper money and the "I'll have you know it's legal tender" conversation, us Scots need a new friction to export, so once again I find myself saying "it's a real word, albeit rarely used outwith Scotland"
August 7, 2025 at 8:16 AM
With the decline of paper money and the "I'll have you know it's legal tender" conversation, us Scots need a new friction to export, so once again I find myself saying "it's a real word, albeit rarely used outwith Scotland"
In about ten years time, any universities depending on international students from China is going to start seeing this come through as well.
Mind-blowing stats on nurseries in China: the number of births has fallen by half *since 2017*, leading to a collapse in early years provision.
The future impact on primary and secondary education is going to be seismic.
www.ft.com/content/8271...
The future impact on primary and secondary education is going to be seismic.
www.ft.com/content/8271...
July 26, 2025 at 11:52 AM
In about ten years time, any universities depending on international students from China is going to start seeing this come through as well.
So pleased that Taskmaster has added "Jason Mantzoukas, chaotic good" to the pantheon of positive male role models in media (alongside the entirety of the Fellowship, ofc). No longer am I forced to choose between a natural sprinter and a vegetable thief.
July 15, 2025 at 12:41 PM
So pleased that Taskmaster has added "Jason Mantzoukas, chaotic good" to the pantheon of positive male role models in media (alongside the entirety of the Fellowship, ofc). No longer am I forced to choose between a natural sprinter and a vegetable thief.
As well as the official @vicephec.bsky.social satellites, if anyone's around early and likes weird underground tourism, I'm going t'Williamson Tunnels at 11am. Maybe a few spaces left? williamsontunnels.com/visit-the-tu...
Inspired by the truly wild writeup here: www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama...
Inspired by the truly wild writeup here: www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama...
July 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
As well as the official @vicephec.bsky.social satellites, if anyone's around early and likes weird underground tourism, I'm going t'Williamson Tunnels at 11am. Maybe a few spaces left? williamsontunnels.com/visit-the-tu...
Inspired by the truly wild writeup here: www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama...
Inspired by the truly wild writeup here: www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama...
Happy Benzday! Year! Something.
First isolated by Michael Faraday 200 years ago, benzene started as a mysterious liquid with a peculiar aromatic smell and has gone on to transform the landscape of chemistry. #ChemSky
Benzene at 200
Celebrating the molecule that changed the world
www.chemistryworld.com
June 16, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Happy Benzday! Year! Something.