Alyx Woodward (she/her)

I'm Alyx, and I'm a science nerd and horsegirl in the #plural system known as the Pnictogen Wing (host, @[email protected]) where I'm like the "science officer", although I prefer the title "principal investigator". I'm into amateur #science, especially #chemistry, though I'm working on programming and other things.

Last Notes

2026-07-21 23:59:26 CEST

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(*sighs, rubs her temples*) Matt.
I don't want to be unnecessarily harsh. But I don't trust you. I do not know any other way of saying it. I do not believe that I am talking to an honest person. I do not see honesty in your words. You talk like you've rehearsed what you're going to say in advance, and you may protest that you've done no such thing, but...haven't you?
Have you ever done any of those self-help "how to be a more effective manager" books or videos or whatever?

2026-07-21 07:09:41 CEST

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Forgive me for saying it like this, because it's always difficult when one's whole line of academic work is being called into question, but isn't Chara right about this? Am I not right about this? (writing from this other account that I have because this is an important issue hence I'll take the risk of being accused of mere block-evasion.)
Isn't the best solution to managing the risk of using software to deal with elections simply...not using software? What's actually wrong with voting in a physical way? There's plain *advantage* to physical voting: physical evidence of voting. What's actually gained by using software? Speed.
Should elections be decided quickly? Is that actually a necessary value to assert?

2025-11-17 06:11:35 CET

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hm. the question is: which one of these might assist in mobilizing more of the carbonate salt, which would otherwise stay in the aqueous phase and barely react with the lipids? the first of the three given the choices, might help the most. but what I think might be work better is a "saponin", a type of naturally occurring surfactant molecule that is found especially in plants called "soapworts".

2025-11-17 02:01:18 CET

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erf. well...I would hope that you could use a relatively small amount of the phase-transfer catalyst in order to saponify a much larger quantity of fat. but you're right, it's not exactly a natural sort of ingredient. all the cationic detergents I can think of are synthetic.

2025-11-17 01:26:57 CET

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here's where I have to wonder... could phase transfer catalysis help somehow? carbonate isn't a strong base in water but maybe it could be carried into the lipid phase with a fat-soluble cationic detergent.

2025-09-02 01:48:06 CEST

So, yeah! Finally on the #fediverse at a place where I might stick around, for once. I've had bad luck with choosing instances. I don't feel up to a full #introduction right now but my name is Alyx Woodward and my thing is #science, most especially #chemistry, most especially analytical chemistry but I like all kinds. :=D