this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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This is for strictly mildly interesting material. If it's too interesting, it doesn't belong. If it's not interesting, it doesn't belong.

This is obviously an objective criteria, so the mods are always right. Or maybe mildly right? Ahh.. what do we know?

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[–] onyxjet@lemmy.world 41 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Sir why do you have 5.35kg of liquid mercury?

[–] jared@mander.xyz 32 points 1 month ago

6kg was too expensive.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That's not just mercury, it's virgin mercury! The good stuff!

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

virgin mercury vs chad water

[–] moody 3 points 1 month ago

Hydrohomies approve

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I've always wanted some, and an opportunity to purchase it arose. Set me back almost $500 but it's a pretty good deal considering how hard it is to get ahold of.

[–] infeeeee@lemm.ee 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What will you do with it? Or is it just a trophy to brag about to your geek friends on the internet?

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm planning to make small ampules of mercury and sell them to recoup some of the cost. But yes, the cool factor was a big part of it. :P

[–] el_puercoespin@lemm.ee 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Please be aware of it's toxicity and don't do something stupid.

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Of course, I will be very careful when handling it.

[–] moody 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Of course, I will be very careful when ~~handling~~ drinking it.

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago

Just pair it eith a generous salad and you're good

[–] whostosay@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Lmao we had the same thought, I was gonna say Drink Responsibly

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I appreciate you only buy virgin Mercury. The first pressing always produces the best result.

[–] hypnicjerk@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

virgin

not if i have something to say about it

[–] HikingVet@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 month ago

Please don't fuck the bottle of liquid mercury.

[–] Blackout@fedia.io 11 points 1 month ago

Where's the taste test results?

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Mercury has a density 13.5x that of water, making a small amount of mercury surprisingly heavy! (And making these bottles feel very weird to hold).

[–] Habahnow@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Where can I find a bottle like this to hold? I need to expand my horizons

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I bought it from this guy, $236 for a bottle. Please only buy it if you know what you're doing, as it is very bad for the environment and your health if it's spilled or handled improperly.

[–] Habahnow@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Mercury gas is what's dangerous right? Not it in liquid form? I guess you mean Careful dropping on a surface that can turn it into a gas ( I'm uncertain of it's boiling point.) Yeah too rich for my blood. Maybe I'll find someone that has one in person someday.

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

Generally yes, but if you spill it it can be very hard to clean up, and if you don't clean it up it'll evaporate over the course of decades and poison you slowly.

If you want a safer and cheaper (though less heavy) option, I can shoot you a DM once I start making mercury ampules.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Totally off topic, but I was curious how dense this was compared to nuclear waste and it's pretty close.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I can just buy Mercury?

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I wish mecury was more accessible to just play with. A room temperature liquid metal is just interesting.

[–] LostXOR@fedia.io 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah it's a shame it's so dangerous. You can get alloys like Galinstan that are liquid at room temperature, but they tend to stick to stuff and aren't nearly as dense.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's danger is sort of exagerated. As long as you take reasonable safety precautions you will be fine. Here's a guy flushing a toilet with mercury.

[–] essell@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

The video only shows that he could, I wonder if he stopped to think if he should.