Matt Hartings
LightNews LightNews
banner
matthartings.bsky.social
Matt Hartings
@matthartings.bsky.social
3.3K followers 830 following 1.7K posts
Chemist (Food, 3D printing), Professor (American University), Author (Chemistry in Your Kitchen)
Posts Replies Media Videos
matthartings.bsky.social
Baking day!
A rooster-painting Two loaves of bread on a rack The rooster approves
November 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Took the middle on a college visit today and passed by this absolute gem of an institution
ChemSky
A photo of the front of Monell Chemical Sciences Center in Philadelphia
November 1, 2025 at 10:38 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
My outfit for the day. Played some video of Julia Child making an omelette at the start of chem of cooking class. My wife and I certainly enjoyed twinning for Halloween this year.
The post's author and his wife both dressed as Julia Child for Halloween
October 31, 2025 at 3:34 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Happy Mole Day, everyone! 10 to the 23 is a biiiiig number. Here are some incredible drawings from @chemscrapes.bsky.social illustrating the bigness of moles and the smallness of atoms and molecules.
A ChemScrapes illustration showing how big a mole of eggs would be. The size would be roughly that of 5 moons. The image shows two people staring up at 5 moons. The person on the left asks, "Mum, what are the moons made from?." The person on the right says, "A mole of eggs, Dear." An image by ChemScrapes showing how far a mole of gasoline (octane, by approximation) will take your car. The image on the left shows a car filling up with a mole of gas. The image on the right shows that the car has traveled just over a mile before the gas runs out. An image from ChemScrapes showing that a mole of Skittles would fill the Atlantic ocean. An image from ChemScrapes showing a person (me ... I'm the person) reading directions to add a mole of water, roughly 3.5 teaspoons, to a recipe. The person (ahem ... me) says, "Now, let's see ... 1 mole of water ... 3 1/2 teasppons? Doesn't seem like a lot!"
October 23, 2025 at 12:26 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Here's my current efficiency screen. You can definitely tell when my commute is downhill (driving to DC from Gaithersburg)
A picture of my car monitor displaying the efficiency history for my driving.
October 20, 2025 at 8:30 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Fun picture from this morning watching some research progress.

Different layers of barrel (char layer, pyrolysis layer, and virgin wood layer) soaking in ethanol.
three vials containing ethanol and samples from different part of a whisky barrel. From left to right are: char layer, pyrolysis layer, and virgin wood layer. These samples have been soaking for just under a day. But the slight auburn coloration in the ethanol with the pyrolysis layer shows where most of the color in whisky comes from.
October 10, 2025 at 1:53 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Got to listen to a great talk from @everywherechem.bsky.social today at AU
Professor Rigoberto Hernandez giving a lecture to the chemistry and biochemistry majors at American University
October 8, 2025 at 6:13 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Well done @neilwithers.bsky.social and @stuartcantrill.com
A picture showing timeline convergence and two Brits cheering "It's MOFs" at the Nobel announcement
October 8, 2025 at 9:52 AM
matthartings.bsky.social
Don't tell Paddington what we're up to today
KitchenChemistry
Lemon and orange peels on a cutting board. Peeled lemons and oranges in a bowl. Someone is making marmalade
September 19, 2025 at 11:30 AM
matthartings.bsky.social
Lots of things are crap right now but I made this latte art today and normally my latte art is also crap so that's a little win for me
Matt showing off his (good-by-his-standards) latte art.
September 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Forbidden KoolAid
Aqua regia, which is a vibrant orange color, in a chemical fume hood with other lab materials
September 10, 2025 at 12:06 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
New swag to help decorate the office
Two Psyduck Pokemon cards in extended art cases.
September 8, 2025 at 12:18 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
My wife is back to painting her one true love again ...
A painting of Keanu Reeves on a romantic dinner date ... Presumably with my wife (not pictured)
September 7, 2025 at 4:25 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Reeves Field, American U's soccer field, has been undergoing renovations for ages now. Great to have our squads playing here again. This view is from my lab and features our Eagles playing Howard (happening now)
AU Women's soccer vs Howard as seen from my laboratory
August 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Hi friends at #ACSFall2025 #Chemsky

Sorry I haven't been to the convention center yet. It's been a day
A picture of my family in front of an American University sign during drop-off for our oldest child.
August 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Found (and defaced? upgraded?) an incredible @rsc.org @rscbooks.rsc.org book today in their library.
Me holding my book in the Royal Society of Chemistry library with a view of the Royal Society courtyard in the background. Inscribing my book in the RSC library
August 12, 2025 at 5:10 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
@neilwithers.bsky.social and I taking competing selfies after a wonderful lunch in sunny London. Don't mind the glare off our heads
2 chemists with shiny foreheads standing outside a pub in London.
August 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Apparently this is what the weather in London is like ...
Thanks to everyone who ordered up these blue skies for us.
My view while drinking coffee in London near Westminster Bridge. Blue skies, the county hall, and an Italian cocktail bar in view
August 6, 2025 at 7:55 AM
matthartings.bsky.social
Happy birthday, Doc! Btw ... Very randomly I was at your sister's on the 4th. Played baseball with a bunch of old men. Saw your parents, too.
A Ball jar 2/3 filled with an iced latte
July 26, 2025 at 12:12 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
So ... Our dog LOVES LOVES ABSOLUTELY ADORES wrapping paper. This is a picture of her trying to be patient while Jack reads their cards.
Foreground: A teenager's hand holding a card. Background: A dog making plans to absolutely shred some wrapping paper
July 24, 2025 at 11:47 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Very rare that the kids are all happy with dinner.
Chipotle chicken on the grill is a blessed exception.
Chicken thighs, marinated (chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic, red onion, coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper, and oil blended together into a loose paste), and cooking on a charcoal grill
July 23, 2025 at 10:41 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
This is one of my favorite hats (from the Columbia Fireflies ... who had this alternate hat for the Copa de la Diversión)
Columbia Chicharones hat - black hat with neon green bill. The hat features a red pig with different cuts, for meat production, outlined with stitching.
July 17, 2025 at 9:29 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Spent the weekend back home. My youngest, my brother, and I got to dig through our old sports cards. Found this classic Mark Jackson with a bonus appearance by the Menendez Brothers.
Mark Jackson basketball card (from the 1990 Hoops set). Circled in the background are the Menendez Brothers, Lyle and Erik, who were later convicted of killing their parents (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Menendez). The trial was in all the news and tabloids at the time and was resurfaced recently based on the claims that they had long been abused by their parents.
July 7, 2025 at 3:50 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Pan de cristal (King Arthur recipe). About to go into the oven. Didn't develop the gluten quite enough. We'll see what they look like coming out of the oven.
2, formed, pan de cristal loaves, prior to baking.
May 24, 2025 at 8:42 PM
matthartings.bsky.social
Foraged spruce tips ice cream. Made by the oldest ...
Foraged spruce tips ice cream churning in an ice cream maker.
May 4, 2025 at 1:54 PM