Rachel O'Brien
@reobrien.bsky.social
Environmental Engineer, Atmospheric Chemist, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. they/she. opinions are my own.🌈
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
This is so grim. Science isn’t just something nerds do, but the foundation of the modern world. What the Trump regime has done to US science will harm Americans for generations.
‘Shattered’: US scientists speak out about how Trump policies disrupted their careers
Researchers lay bare the human toll of lay-offs, funding cuts and attacks on science one year after the president’s return to the White House.
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:23 AM
This is so grim. Science isn’t just something nerds do, but the foundation of the modern world. What the Trump regime has done to US science will harm Americans for generations.
Spaghetti and meat cubes sounds like it could be such a thing right now 🤣
Recipe: "Brown the meatballs, approximately 3 minutes per side."
Me, having made my meatballs perfectly spherical, and therefore having infinite sides: "Oh boy. This could take a while."
Me, having made my meatballs perfectly spherical, and therefore having infinite sides: "Oh boy. This could take a while."
January 19, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Spaghetti and meat cubes sounds like it could be such a thing right now 🤣
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
The worst climate and weather news you’ll see today.
Update: A bid to safeguard the National Center for Atmospheric Research failed Thursday after the Senate passed a spending package without an amendment to save the center's funding. eos.org/research-and...
Trump Administration Plans to Break Up NCAR - Eos
The Trump administration is planning to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world’s leading climate and Earth science research laboratories, according to a statement fro...
eos.org
January 16, 2026 at 3:26 PM
The worst climate and weather news you’ll see today.
I love the color of the petals when the sun is shining through them.
January 17, 2026 at 1:42 AM
I love the color of the petals when the sun is shining through them.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Saint Paul schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for optional online learning.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
January 15, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Saint Paul schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for optional online learning.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
The unique location of Xizang University in Lhasa, Tibet, China (seen here from afar) allowed researchers to disentangle the health effects of ozone-derived carbonyls from ozone itself. cen.acs.org/environment/...
#chemsky 🧪
#chemsky 🧪
Ozone-derived carbonyls indoors could pose a risk to heart health
High concentrations of carbonyls are produced when indoor ozone reacts with skin oils. Researchers correlated the molecules with raised blood cell indices in people living on the Tibetan plateau
cen.acs.org
January 13, 2026 at 12:31 PM
The unique location of Xizang University in Lhasa, Tibet, China (seen here from afar) allowed researchers to disentangle the health effects of ozone-derived carbonyls from ozone itself. cen.acs.org/environment/...
#chemsky 🧪
#chemsky 🧪
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
This is unbelievably stupid. By doing this, the EPA would completely run away from its mission to protect human health and the environment. Reducing air pollution saves lives, plain and simple.
Scoop: The EPA will no longer estimate the lives saved by reducing air pollution when writing clean-air regulations, according to documents reviewed by @nytimes.com.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:52 PM
This is unbelievably stupid. By doing this, the EPA would completely run away from its mission to protect human health and the environment. Reducing air pollution saves lives, plain and simple.
The face you make when you realize we are less than two weeks into 2026...
January 11, 2026 at 2:25 PM
The face you make when you realize we are less than two weeks into 2026...
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Things are grim right now but as a reminder of who we are and why we fight, this is the US Women’s figuring skating champion.
January 10, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Things are grim right now but as a reminder of who we are and why we fight, this is the US Women’s figuring skating champion.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
An in-law relative who just found out I was a chemist asked me what you get when you combine sodium chloride with potassium cyanide and I was like “I think just a solution of both? I can’t think offhand of the solvent where you’d precipitate the K over the Na salt…” and then he told me the answer
January 10, 2026 at 10:17 PM
An in-law relative who just found out I was a chemist asked me what you get when you combine sodium chloride with potassium cyanide and I was like “I think just a solution of both? I can’t think offhand of the solvent where you’d precipitate the K over the Na salt…” and then he told me the answer
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Another reminder that the assault on scientific funding was broadly unpopular, even within the President's own party
January 5, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Another reminder that the assault on scientific funding was broadly unpopular, even within the President's own party
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Icebergs - Grise Fiord
Doris McCarthy
1976
Doris McCarthy
1976
January 6, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Icebergs - Grise Fiord
Doris McCarthy
1976
Doris McCarthy
1976
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
If ever there were a time you might want a separate but equal branch of the United States government to run a check on the president, it would be now ….
January 4, 2026 at 1:14 PM
If ever there were a time you might want a separate but equal branch of the United States government to run a check on the president, it would be now ….
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Reminder for everyone operating at situationally-diminished capacity.
January 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Reminder for everyone operating at situationally-diminished capacity.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Taking a break from Venezuela Doomscrolling to note how fun it is that that DMS, cysteine, and other biomarker organosulfur species can be formed abiotically
( Work by Ellie Browne and coworkers:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... )
( Work by Ellie Browne and coworkers:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... )
On ancient Earth, sulfur biomolecules could have formed without life
Abiotic chemistry in Earth’s atmosphere could have generated biologically important organosulfur molecules as life was beginning. cen.acs.org/physical-che... #chemsky 🧪
Abiotic chemistry in Earth’s atmosphere could have generated biologically important organosulfur molecules as life was beginning. cen.acs.org/physical-che... #chemsky 🧪
On ancient Earth, sulfur biomolecules could have formed without life
Abiotic chemistry in Earth’s atmosphere could have generated biologically important organosulfur molecules as life was beginning
cen.acs.org
January 3, 2026 at 9:23 PM
Taking a break from Venezuela Doomscrolling to note how fun it is that that DMS, cysteine, and other biomarker organosulfur species can be formed abiotically
( Work by Ellie Browne and coworkers:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... )
( Work by Ellie Browne and coworkers:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... )
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
![Comic. [Comment section on a video. 564 comments, including posts from three different avatars: “Who else is here in 2023?” “Is anyone else watching this in 2017?” “Anyone else here in 2025?”] [caption] For some reason, confused time travelers always try to find each other using YouTube comments.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreia42izz36bkhdteb5743objgf2s3whe3kblmnxnwjvgggtu66ea54@jpeg)
January 2, 2026 at 8:35 PM
First bird photo of the year! A little tree sparrow paused briefly on a pile of dead reeds in the snow.
January 2, 2026 at 1:54 AM
First bird photo of the year! A little tree sparrow paused briefly on a pile of dead reeds in the snow.
Happy New Year! We started off our year with a trip to the warm greenhouse at the Matthaei botanical garden. 🌺
January 1, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Happy New Year! We started off our year with a trip to the warm greenhouse at the Matthaei botanical garden. 🌺
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Seeing the "last day at [federal agency]" posts today from amazingly talented people who took the Administration's 2025 buy-out is devastating.
Regardless of what the White House thinks, know that your expertise and your skills are so valuable and desperately needed in this country, my friends.
Regardless of what the White House thinks, know that your expertise and your skills are so valuable and desperately needed in this country, my friends.
January 1, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Seeing the "last day at [federal agency]" posts today from amazingly talented people who took the Administration's 2025 buy-out is devastating.
Regardless of what the White House thinks, know that your expertise and your skills are so valuable and desperately needed in this country, my friends.
Regardless of what the White House thinks, know that your expertise and your skills are so valuable and desperately needed in this country, my friends.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Certain air cleaners may remove some VOCs but create others
Devices that oxidize VOCs could be contributing by-products such as formaldehyde cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪
Devices that oxidize VOCs could be contributing by-products such as formaldehyde cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪
Certain air cleaners may remove some VOCs but create others
Devices that oxidize VOCs could be contributing by-products such as formaldehyde
cen.acs.org
January 1, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Certain air cleaners may remove some VOCs but create others
Devices that oxidize VOCs could be contributing by-products such as formaldehyde cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪
Devices that oxidize VOCs could be contributing by-products such as formaldehyde cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
You probably heard the US admin is threatening to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research: but did you know they already froze funding for the 9 regional Climate Science Adaptation Centers? From tracking invasives to helping tribes with drought, here's why the CASCs matter ⬇️
From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers
The people who manage America’s aquifers, wetlands, shorelines and recreation areas rely on federal science as they face new and rising risks in a changing climate.
theconversation.com
December 29, 2025 at 12:02 PM
You probably heard the US admin is threatening to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research: but did you know they already froze funding for the 9 regional Climate Science Adaptation Centers? From tracking invasives to helping tribes with drought, here's why the CASCs matter ⬇️