Vance Williams
@vancew.bsky.social
Professor of chemistry at Simon Fraser University (SFU), materials nerd, lover of science-based art. (he/him)
September 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Excited for the first day of grade 49!
September 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Excited for the first day of grade 49!
The night garden. My mint plant during the day and the same leaves at night under UV light. The red color is chlorophyll fluorescence. #fluorescent
August 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The night garden. My mint plant during the day and the same leaves at night under UV light. The red color is chlorophyll fluorescence. #fluorescent
Suspended stone circle II by Ken Unsworth at the AGNSW
July 1, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Suspended stone circle II by Ken Unsworth at the AGNSW
July 1, 2025 at 6:26 AM
June 25, 2025 at 9:14 AM
June 22, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Taking some time to appreciate the New Zealand wildlife! #kaka #wellington
June 18, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Taking some time to appreciate the New Zealand wildlife! #kaka #wellington
Making mood rings in the lab. I should lay off the coffee before filming time lapse photos.
June 6, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Making mood rings in the lab. I should lay off the coffee before filming time lapse photos.
Chiral landscape. With teaching over for the year I can turn my attention to research! This polarized microscopy image was captured as part of a study into stimuli responsive chiral liquid crystals #sciart
April 26, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Chiral landscape. With teaching over for the year I can turn my attention to research! This polarized microscopy image was captured as part of a study into stimuli responsive chiral liquid crystals #sciart
First day of advanced voting! Casting my vote early.
April 18, 2025 at 8:50 PM
First day of advanced voting! Casting my vote early.
Happy 10th anniversary to the SFU Trottier observatory!
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Happy 10th anniversary to the SFU Trottier observatory!
Two weeks ago, I visited several of the Smithsonian museums in DC. The art was inspiring and often subversive. It is no surprise that an authoritarian regime would find this work threatening, which is precisely why we need to fight to preserve art that speaks truth to power.
March 29, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Two weeks ago, I visited several of the Smithsonian museums in DC. The art was inspiring and often subversive. It is no surprise that an authoritarian regime would find this work threatening, which is precisely why we need to fight to preserve art that speaks truth to power.
Notwithstanding, the world spins and spring arrives.
March 23, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Notwithstanding, the world spins and spring arrives.
Recently visited DC; likely my last trip to the US for the foreseeable future.
March 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Recently visited DC; likely my last trip to the US for the foreseeable future.
On the hunt for crystals big enough for X-ray.
March 8, 2025 at 3:17 PM
On the hunt for crystals big enough for X-ray.
Office hours at SFU
March 4, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Office hours at SFU
Benzamide crystals. In 1832, Liebig and Wöhler described the transformation of benzamide crystals grown from solution into a different form. This was the first report of polymorphism! #sciart #ochem #crystals #historyofscience
February 1, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Benzamide crystals. In 1832, Liebig and Wöhler described the transformation of benzamide crystals grown from solution into a different form. This was the first report of polymorphism! #sciart #ochem #crystals #historyofscience
Tomorrow in my industrial chemistry class: vanillin! A natural product or a petrochemical derivative? Does it matter? #crystals #sciart #chemistry
January 27, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Tomorrow in my industrial chemistry class: vanillin! A natural product or a petrochemical derivative? Does it matter? #crystals #sciart #chemistry
With my industrial chemistry course underway, I decided to photograph ammonium nitrate under the microscope! Haber-Bosch: most important invention of the 20th century? #fertilizer #ammonia #nitrogen #chemistry
January 19, 2025 at 2:21 AM
With my industrial chemistry course underway, I decided to photograph ammonium nitrate under the microscope! Haber-Bosch: most important invention of the 20th century? #fertilizer #ammonia #nitrogen #chemistry
December 14, 2024 at 11:06 PM
December 6, 2024 at 12:17 AM