Drrubidium

DrRubidium is an analytical chemist that spends her days finding needles in needlestacks. Also a science communicator, she focuses on the the science behind everyday stuff and pop culture.
  • Skepticism

    Perchance it’s white feminism?

    In the Guardian post Kellyanne Conway and liberal feminists: two sides of the same coin, the author Arwa Mahdawi asks… Shouldn’t Conway be held up as a feminist icon no matter what her politics are? After asking… She may have helped get a racist misogynist elected, but does that really detract from what she, a woman, has achieved? …going on to…

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  • Activism

    What happened to these Indigenous women and girls?

    It was the data that got me. Not just the number of data points, but the shape of the data. The shape reminded me of a Holter monitor recording of a not-quite-right heart rate. Fitting, perhaps, as something definitely wasn’t right. There is a person gone for each square. A person with friends, family, and a mystery. Each one was murdered…

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  • Activism

    Federal court rules on black hair

    I am black and I have black hair.     I have black hair texture. Check it. Today's nerd shirt. #scientistselfie pic.twitter.com/XRwm37eP3T — Raychelle Burks (@DrRubidium) September 16, 2016 That hair texture is protected. And I don’t just mean by my dope-ass conditioner. “…discrimination on the basis of black hair texture (an immutable characteristic) is prohibited by Title VII…” [Judge…

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  • Featured

    What to do when somebody says they’re voting for Trump

    This is a situation that must be handled with the diplomacy, tact, and  je ne sais quoi. Fear not! We have giftastic advice for 18 DIFFERENT scenarios. You’re welcome. When you’re on an away mission: When you’re trapped in a work meeting: When you’re at cocktail party:   When you’re in an elevator: When you’re in a courtroom: When you’re in…

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  • Skepticism

    How our (fake) dream gap years turned into (fake) nightmares

    Louise Linton went through a lotta ish during her gap year White Savior Tour™ of Zambia and wrote them all up in a book called ‘In Congo’s Shadow‘. She shared some details with The Telegraph: Two hours had passed – maybe three. I couldn’t tell. The dense jungle canopy above me had eliminated what little moonlight there was and plunged me…

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  • Featured

    A Storm of Chemistry

    Moon tea offers the women of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond The Wall some control* over their lives – a rarity in a series. This herbal tea is a birth control method, implied – or explicitly stated – to be an abortifacient. In George R.R. Martin’s The Storm of Swords, a recipe for moon tea is given by Lady Lysa as “…tansy and…

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  • Feminism

    You hair, your way

    All my life, my hair has not been my own. All sorts of people had opinions and fee fees about my hair. Some folks would actually forget themselves, think they’re in a petting zoo, and get all up in my hair. I’ve been told natural is best, but straight is better. I shouldn’t dye my hair wacky color. Don’t I know short…

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  • Featured

    #AskAChemist: Why is @KINDSnacks being mean to methylcellulose?

    This week on Ask A Chemist, a tweep with a penchant for KIND bars wants to know why the snack company is calling a chemical names. We don't use methylcellulose because it's gross. Instead, we decided to dump it on our CEO, @danlub. #SorryNotSorryhttps://t.co/ZEdjD3CZHU — KIND Snacks (@KINDSnacks) October 29, 2015 KIND goes on to say… Here at KIND, we…

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