Short Takes – 5-1-25

Chemical Safety Board’s Small Budget Talisman. ChemicalProcessing.com article. Pull quote: “That last bit [saving the CSB] has been on my mind since Jan. 20, when the second Trump administration took office. I’ve contacted sources within the CSB and those who deal with the independent federal agency to ask whether they know the fate. No one has answered, and I am guessing it’s because they don’t know. And I’m not pressing this issue because I’m superstitious and don’t want to jinx things.”

Where to Spend your Next Security Dollar. WHMurray.blogspot.com blog post. Pull quote: “Document Management System - a system, process, or database to capture, track and store electronic documents such as PDFs, word processing objects, and digital images of paper-based content, providing accountability for all content, changes, and access or use.  Mandatory for intellectual assets (IP), personally identifiable information (PII), client, customer, and employee relations, or financial records; recommended for all confidential or sensitive information.”

How does nonstick cookware work, and should you switch to ‘green’ pans? CEN.ACS.org article. Pull quote: “Golovin says that “ceramic” can be a misleading marketing term. “I’ve seen pans that advertise a ceramic coating, but it’s made of PFAS attached to some ceramic material.” Manufacturers can label these products as “Teflon-free” or “PFOA-free,” but they still have PFAS. The best bet for consumers seeking PFAS-free nonstick pans is to look for the label “fluorine-free,” he says.”

NASA delays astrophysics mission call for proposals amid budget uncertainties. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “In an April 29 announcement, NASA informed the astrophysics community that it was delaying until at least April 2026 the release of the next announcement of opportunity (AO) for the next Small Explorer (SMEX) mission. That AO was expected to be released this April after NASA published a draft version in January.”

LSD analogue synthesised by swapping just two atoms less likely to cause hallucinations. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “After conducting a series of assays in vitro and in mouse models they found that JRT was very potent and highly selective for binding serotonin receptors, specifically 5-HT2A receptors – the activation of which are key to promoting cortical neuron growth. They also found it had powerful neuroplastic effects, increasing the density of neural branching in the prefrontal cortex, and improved measures relevant to the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, without exacerbating hallucinations and gene expression associated with psychosis.”

Radian Aerospace unveils plans for reentry vehicle. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Having something that flies sooner generates enthusiasm with the team, and we learn faster that way,” he said of working on both the Radian One prototypes and R3V in parallel. “It just gives us an opportunity to incorporate our learnings into the larger system, which should indeed be a risk reduction activity for that larger system not just from a technology standpoint but also from an integration standpoint.””