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Post by foresterr on May 31, 2013 9:32:55 GMT
Liquid elemental mercury is not particularly toxic by itself (kinda hard to absorb, y'know), although it could still warrant that label. Anyway, as a liquid metal, it would look just like a chunk of metal shaped to the bottle (which the blue stuff does not look like, at all) and be completely opaque. The blue stuff in the bottle is semi-transparent, as you can still see the bottom of the bottle. Hence it is certainly not mercury.
This useless bit of trivia brought to you by a former chemistry geek ;-)
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Post by TBeholder on May 31, 2013 10:08:36 GMT
First a phoenix feather, than Catalyst, now Mercury? Really pulling in the alchemy/chemistry references here. As opposed to just about every chapter from the first? ;D Neptune doesn't have an alchemical symbol. It got to be either for Neptunium or maybe for " dehydrated water".  |
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Post by snipertom on May 31, 2013 11:59:40 GMT
Liquid elemental mercury is not particularly toxic by itself (kinda hard to absorb, y'know), although it could still warrant that label. Anyway, as a liquid metal, it would look just like a chunk of metal shaped to the bottle (which the blue stuff does not look like, at all) and be completely opaque. The blue stuff in the bottle is semi-transparent, as you can still see the bottom of the bottle. Hence it is certainly not mercury. This useless bit of trivia brought to you by a former chemistry geek ;-) I was under the understanding that elemental mercury is readily absorbed through the skin and its vapours can be inhaled causing poisoning... (doctor/ex chem geek here) www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm#elemThere are a heap of youtube videos of people playing with mercury (!) - as foresterr says, it's liquid and shiny |
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Post by sidhekin on May 31, 2013 12:02:58 GMT
That would be gaseous mercury, not liquid mercury. ;-)
Yeah, I know, evaporation is a bitch ...
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Post by snipertom on May 31, 2013 12:08:09 GMT
That would be gaseous mercury, not liquid mercury. ;-) Yeah, I know, evaporation is a bitch ... yes- mercury vapour causes most poisoning due to inhalation (as I said), but liquid mercury can also be absorbed through the skin, albeit slowly. Given that at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, mercury coexists as a liquid and vapour, and when open to the air will form a vapour, stating that liquid elemental mercury is not particularly toxic is, while technically true, in practical terms understates the dangerousness of exposure. |
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Post by exdevlin on May 31, 2013 14:24:10 GMT
I was going to guess that the dark blue liquid was iodine, but apparently it has low toxicity.
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Post by arf on May 31, 2013 14:41:03 GMT
According to the alchemical encyclopedia, Mercury was also considered the gateway to the above and below.
(due to the spectacular dual reaction that occurs when nitric acid is added.)
Could refer to Rey in his current state. Could refer to spirit guides.
Mercury also catalyses (that word again) the oxidation of aluminium
(which is why it is a huge no-no to take it on aeroplanes)
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Post by dismalscientist on May 31, 2013 15:23:26 GMT
I was going to guess that the dark blue liquid was iodine, but apparently it has low toxicity. Low toxicity relative to what, exactly? When taken orally iodine can be quite poisonous — in fact, my sister attempted to kill herself by ingesting iodine purchased over-the-counter, and her survival required emergency medical intervention. |
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quoodle
Full Member
Just a man on a planet
Posts: 168
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Post by quoodle on May 31, 2013 16:13:06 GMT
That would be gaseous mercury, not liquid mercury. ;-) Yeah, I know, evaporation is a bitch ... Given that at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, mercury coexists as a liquid and vapour, and when open to the air will form a vapour, ... Just to clear up - every liquid (and solid) had a gaseous state at some partial pressure in the air - and will reach equilibrium eventually (hence, producing vapors). Has any of us chem geeks considered maybe this is a reagent or an indicator solution for mercury? Yea, mercury is shiny - shiny enough to make early mirrors. |
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Post by The Anarch on May 31, 2013 16:26:43 GMT
It's Romulan ale.
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Post by warrl on May 31, 2013 16:58:24 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. Get yourself a glass of water and think about that for a bit... |
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Post by snipertom on May 31, 2013 17:05:39 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. Get yourself a glass of water and think about that for a bit... *facepalm* |
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Post by warrl on May 31, 2013 17:31:07 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. Get yourself a glass of water and think about that for a bit... *facepalm* Snipergirl gets it. |
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coolpilot
Junior Member
The Seahawk
Posts: 67
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Post by coolpilot on May 31, 2013 17:36:34 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. Get yourself a glass of water and think about that for a bit... That is so backwards from reality, I have to facepalm my facepalm to express just how truly silly that is. |
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Post by GK Sierra on May 31, 2013 17:37:03 GMT
All those years of research, and the answer was making unsightly rings on our coffee table all along...
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Post by TBeholder on May 31, 2013 17:37:46 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. I, upon reading this, suddenly invented ultra-high-compression method for storing tables of pseudorandom numbers. Euphemisms are funny, aren't they? In a slapstick way. ;D |
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Post by ctso74 on Jun 1, 2013 0:55:35 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. Get yourself a glass of water and think about that for a bit... That's awfully silly, and similar to a plot point in the Guardians of the Flame series. Though, it was achieved through magic, with no steampunk goodness. Everyone is focusing on the element mercury, but "Quicksilver" could refer to the nature of being protean and changeable, like Rey with bodies. That may be why the symbol's silhouette is visible, when Rey MAY have tried to possess Annie. Let's hope, that if there's any bodyswapping fun, it's done only with stuffed animals. |
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tpman
Full Member
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Post by tpman on Jun 1, 2013 1:28:29 GMT
Part of the premise of the steampunk anime "Steamboy" is that the boy's father invented a way to store steam at very high density and at room temperature. Get yourself a glass of water and think about that for a bit... That is so backwards from reality, I have to facepalm my facepalm to express just how truly silly that is. I find it's simpler to just backhand my face or pat the back of my head. The math works out the same. |
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tpman
Full Member
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Post by tpman on Jun 1, 2013 1:33:52 GMT
So we've got needles for picking locks or repairing stuffed animals, the word quicksilver, and a warning label. The last two have me thinking we may find out something about the time Rey killed a man this chapter. That or at least a reminder of the fact that Rey's a really dangerous guy.
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Post by GK Sierra on Jun 1, 2013 1:37:24 GMT
Or perhaps its a sign that Tom is actually going to start tying plot-points together and concluding them instead of making them branch off into infinity...
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Post by ctso74 on Jun 1, 2013 2:21:33 GMT
Or perhaps its a sign that Tom is actually going to start tying plot-points together and concluding them instead of making them branch off into infinity... When you stare into Tom's plots, the plots stare back at you. *shudder* |
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taban
New Member
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Post by taban on Jun 1, 2013 5:51:37 GMT
My initial thought from the picture was "Looks like a shelf in the science room. Maybe this chapter will tug on the 'Annie is always copying Kat's homework' thread."
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americonedream
Full Member
What are birds? We just don't know!
Posts: 213
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Post by americonedream on Jun 1, 2013 6:32:24 GMT
How all this chemistry stuff sounds to me: And the proteins that go into jargon jargon babble babble strange words
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Post by GK Sierra on Jun 1, 2013 6:34:21 GMT
Or perhaps its a sign that Tom is actually going to start tying plot-points together and concluding them instead of making them branch off into infinity... When you stare into Tom's plots, the plots stare back at you. *shudder* Anyone care to guess how close we are to the midpoint? Exceeding 100 chapters would take a couple more years, accounting of course for variable page-lengths. |
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Post by download on Jun 1, 2013 9:53:15 GMT
The fact that we haven't had any hint as to how this will end suggest to me we are less than half way through.
We really have no clue what direction it will take
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Post by arf on Jun 1, 2013 13:59:14 GMT
Or perhaps its a sign that Tom is actually going to start tying plot-points together and concluding them instead of making them branch off into infinity... When you stare into Tom's plots, the plots stare back at you. *shudder* They also know where you live. |
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Post by SerenaJo on Jun 1, 2013 14:13:36 GMT
Anywhere from a third to half way through I guess, but Annie becoming the forest's medium seems like a pretty big plot point and would probably take place closer to a third... just because there's so much information needed for the story to be complete and that allows her to start learning more (but maybe I'm just hopeful)
No idea what the quicksilver's about, but I hope this chapter isn't too heavy :/
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Post by download on Jun 1, 2013 14:33:43 GMT
Anywhere from a third to half way through I guess, but Annie becoming the forest's medium seems like a pretty big plot point and would probably take place closer to a third... just because there's so much information needed for the story to be complete and that allows her to start learning more (but maybe I'm just hopeful) No idea what the quicksilver's about, but I hope this chapter isn't too heavy :/ Sorry to break it too you, but if any of us are right and It's about Rey and his backstory it will be |
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Post by SerenaJo on Jun 1, 2013 15:29:22 GMT
Sorry to break it too you, but if any of us are right and It's about Rey and his backstory it will be With a chapter page like that I pretty much expect it to be, I just don't want anyone to die. So yeah, watch this be about the court member he killed or something. |
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Post by download on Jun 1, 2013 15:54:28 GMT
Well, I think Eggers the one he possessed... (or maybe Anthony)
Someone, probably Surma, made a deal with Coyote so the flaw he intentionally put in Rey powers would be removed so they could save Eggers. In exchange she couldn't love him or something (seeing as he couldn't understand she left him I bet he could never know why, and to add further insult to injury she must love someone he disliked, sounds like a nasty condition Coyote might add to me, he is a trickster after all). This sorta screwed everything up so she left the court with Anthony.
Most of this hinges on my belief that the person Rey possessed must be a very important character and that one chapter isn't long enough to introduce such an important character so it has to the an existing character. As for the character, we know they have black hair and are described an handsome. Eggers has black hair, is described as handsome by Kat. He seem to me to be the only character known that fits the bill
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