INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY

[Stingo]

Originally Posted by lynw

Ritchie - I agree with you. I was always lead to believe it was in his wallpaper.

Phillip Mac - not everyone can smell cyanide. Approximately 40% of the population cant and its genetic apparently. Im still trying to figure out why the ability to smell it would be genetic but numerous studies indicate it is.

Cyanide can also be found naturally. In plants, cyanides are usually bound to sugar molecules in the form of cyanogenic glycosides and serve the plant as defense against herbivores. In fact the Cassava roots have to be boiled extensively before they can be eaten. Cherries, apricots, peaches, and apples all contain cyanide in the stones/seeds.

Lynw - is there nothing you do not know?

heres one - did you know you were half your adult height at the age of 3!

Originally Posted by Stingo

Lynw - is there nothing you do not know?

Chemistry stuff I do know a fair bit about - did one year of a degree before swapping to a computing one. Ive known about cyanide in apple seeds/fruit stones for a long time.

Its also the reason I know nicotine is used as an industrial strength insecticide. And why the pH scale is meaningless in relation to super acids [which can reach what are effectively -12 and -15 on the pH scale]. Not things to mess about with.

But I like reading and learning. People post stuff up, I go read and find more stuff out.

Originally Posted by lynw

Ritchie - I agree with you. I was always lead to believe it was in his wallpaper. ]

That is what killed him in the end but he tried others ways first. According to my history teacher he tried 3 times.

Originally Posted by Quedos

That is what killed him in the end but he tried others ways first. According to my history teacher he tried 3 times.

Certainly theres one recorded attempt in 1814.

The autopsy and subsequent examinations of a locket of hair confirm the arsenic poisoning though cause of death is believed to be stomach cancer reading wikipedia.

However it is possible given previously high levels [large but non lethal doses applied randomly] of this in his body the arsenic wasnt the suicide attempt method but either use in a hair tonic or to treat syphillis.

wikipedias being my friend tonight

Originally Posted by lynw

Phillip Mac - not everyone can smell cyanide. Approximately 40% of the population cant and its genetic apparently. Im still trying to figure out why the ability to smell it would be genetic but numerous studies indicate it is.

Yup. I was at a seminar thing with the lad who did a lot of that research a few weeks back, and he was talking about some of that work, he got the Nobel prize for it. Richard Axel, from up the road from us in Columbia Uni. He is a nice guy. Cool science.

Don't pour water on Hydrochloric acid, it's makes it stronger...

Originally Posted by Scooby Drew

Don't pour water on Hydrochloric acid, it's makes it stronger...

Sorry Scooby, I dunno if you are joking, but if you werent, no, HCl will be diluted by water. More water, more dilute.
HCl is a gas, and its disolved in water to make the stuff you see in labs and things. And then you just keep steping it down till you right the right conc for your work

(I only mention it, because, if you ever get any on you, you just go to the sink, and wash and wash with water.)

Originally Posted by philipMac

Sorry Scooby, I dunno if you are joking, but if you werent, no, HCl will be diluted by water. More water, more dilute.
HCl is a gas, and its disolved in water to make the stuff you see in labs and things. And then you just keep steping it down till you right the right conc for your work

(I only mention it, because, if you ever get any on you, you just go to the sink, and wash and wash with water.)

Maybe it is sulphuric acid then, school was long time ago...

Originally Posted by Scooby Drew

Maybe it is sulphuric acid then, school was long time ago...

sorry man, all acids will be diluted in water.
HF is sort a special one, since its the only one that you cant keep in glass, since it will disolve glass.
Think of acids as the power of H+ ions. This is what the pH scale is. And its a log scale, so 5 is twice the power of 6.
So, when you throw in water ~7pH, you are just diluteing the ions, and diluting the acid.