[samcheng]

Here's his most famous article on FOOF (Dioxygen Diflouride)

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2010/02/23/th...

It seems there are multiple chemist-author hybrids out there!

[TomVDB]

Like the story about the SR-71 Blackbird asking for a speed check, I will never not read the FOOF article again when somebody posts the link.

(https://tribunist.com/technology/sr-71-blackbird-pilot-troll...)

[vanderZwan]

Thank you for that link, first time I saw it!

[ggm]

At seven hundred freaking degrees, fluorine starts to dissociate into monoatomic radicals, thereby losing its gentle and forgiving nature.

Gentle and Forgiving nature...

[HarryHirsch]

The inimitable Martin Poliakoff demonstrates it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtWp45Eewtw

[ebg13]

"It was much more exciting than I thought" is a great opening line.

[ggm]

Great communication

[fuzzfactor]

We used to do this under pressure in heavy-walled alloy cylinders being irradiated with megawatts of microwave energy behind a blast shell facing into the deep woods at the far end of the specialty fluorochemical research plant.

[hprotagonist]

“sand won’t save you this time” is also excellent. https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2008/02/26/sa...

“i always recommend a good pair of running shoes”, indeed.