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Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Just like the story that the lab ethanol is treated with something that makes you puke

But that's real. They add bitterants and sometimes toxic chemicals to lab ethanol. They purposefully contaminate it.

That seems counterproductive to doing experiments. You would want your solvents to be as uniform as possible, to ensure that your study conditions can be replicated and verified by others.