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deucemagnet

(4,549 posts)

1. In grade school, a teacher had us...

Reply to ensho (Original post)

Sun Dec 18, 2011, 11:46 AM

Dec 2011

...stick our fingers in a jar of mercury to demonstrate its high surface tension (this was in the '70s). Now if I drop a laboratory thermometer I have to go through a hazmat protocol to clean it up. Heavy metal baths are not a good thing.

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"covered in mercury, emptying it out of his shirt pocket, pulling it out of his hair." [View all] ensho Dec 2011 OP

In grade school, a teacher had us... deucemagnet Dec 2011 #1

I remember rolling a droplet around in the palm of my hand. lunatica Dec 2011 #2

I think we all did that as kids. My brain still works fine. kestrel91316 Dec 2011 #7

I've always found it hugely unfair on the universe's part that mercury isn't nontoxic Posteritatis Dec 2011 #9

Back in the 50s, I was in the science lab and someone broke a thermometer. Frustratedlady Dec 2011 #3

Of course, now your oven was full of toxic mercury vapor -- and may have been absorbed in the walls. eppur_se_muova Dec 2011 #4

Mark Twain lost a gold ring working mercury amalgamation in the California gold fields Brother Buzz Dec 2011 #10

but, but, but.... Manifestor_of_Light Dec 2011 #5

He is now ill? 41mag Dec 2011 #6

Some years back they wondered why the tires of the trucks at the Oak Ridge plant were radioactive. TNDemo Dec 2011 #8

What is he ill with. Marnie Dec 2011 #11