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Bismuth No Longer the Heaviest Stable Element
forii writes "Bismuth-209 was commonly thought to be the heaviest stable element. But now Physicists have discovered that Bi-209 actually is unstable and decays with a halflife of 2*10^19 years. This means that the average 8oz (237ml) bottle of Pepto-Bismol contains one decay event every 36 hours or so."
[shock-rag wire service] Scientists discover that bismuth, a major component of Pepto-Bismol , is RADIOACTIVE and decays into the TOXIC POISON thallium.
While the decay rate is the slowest observed to date and, in fact, sets a record, it is noted that NO MINIMUM SAFE EXPOSURE LEVEL has been established for radiation exposure, and there is NO CURE for thallium posioning.
You could've hired me.
All that portfolio I had of Bismute stocks, bonds and futures are going to be worthless by Monday morning. Knew should've bought oxygen - stable although slow-growth stock, my broker told me people are always gonna need oxygen, but no, I wanted the red-hot high-yield stock.
OMG, you're right! At one event per 36 hours, it's practically a fucking Omega Particle!
Someone call Starfleet! *KILL IT! *KILL IT!
(*read: start a new government agency dedicated to the analysis and monitoring of this tool-of-terrorists; fund a few dozen fact-finding junkets, c/o the taxpayer; draft an array of pointless laws regarding Bi research, don't forget to call the religious end-of-world nutters for their valuable insight; end up hiring a PR agency to divert attention away from the fact that you've accomplished bugger all, were wrong all along, and now have a $30mil mansion on the harbour).
Opportunity knocks. Karma hunts you down.
...Pepto Bismal will be in short supply. And just when people really need it!
GAITHERSBURG, MD
22 May 2003
Today, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the civilian agency of the US Government responsible for researching and making available data concerning the physical properties of substances including chemical elements, annouces the discontinued use of francium as the name of the 87th chemical element.
"It's just not appropriate to continue to refer to an element by the name of a nation whose inaction is tantamount to condoning terrorism," said Dr. Hratch G. Semerjian, director of the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory. "We decided that it would be better to refer to the 87th element as Freedomium in honor of those who died to secure the liberty of our country.
Asked if the agency would once again return to calling the 87th element francium, Semerjian said that the element would not return to its former name. "We are prepared to take whatever action is necessary to liberate any element whose nomenclature is derived from a repressive regime."
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> At one event per 36 hours
Remember, that's just an average. Your experience may be different. It could decay all at once just after you swallow. You can't be too careful.
Ok, not only did you catch me in a dyslexism, you came up with a better headline. For that you will suffer!
looks like the pepto-bismol people already knew about this
http://www.pepto-bismol.com/faqs.htm#8
How do I read the expiration Date? Can I use Pepto-Bismol® past the expiration date?
Expiration date example:
EXP JL02C0041
EXP = expires
JL = indicates the month (July)
02 = indicates the last digits of the year (2002)
C0041 = indicates plant and production information
If your Pepto-Bismol® has expired, please do not use it. The ingredients may not be stable after the expiration date.
that would be EXP JL20000000000000002003C0041 I suppose, it should be safe to drink for a while yet.
"Taligent is still pure vapor. Maybe they'll be the last who jumps up on Openstep... "
that's just an average... It could decay all at once just after you swallow
:)
True, you're far more likely to have the hydrogen atoms in a glass of water spontaneously fuse after you drank it. If the bismuth decayed all at once it would kill you, but if hydrogen fused all at once it would kill everyone in a 50 mile radius.
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