Mercury

[[File:Mercury(II) chloride.jpg|thumb|right|165px|"[[Patent_medicine|Pharmaceutical grade]]" mercury (II) chloride (HgCl<sub>2</sub>)]]{{Chemistry}}
'''Mercury''' has more meanings than you can shake a stick at. Here are some of the more relevant and major examples.

==The god==
The original use of "Mercury" as a name was for the Roman version of the Greek god {{wpl|Hermes}}, who was the "Messenger of the Gods" and known for his great speed. Both the planet and the element (and, most likely, the make of Ford automobile) are named after the Roman god Mercury.

==The planet==
[[File:Planet Mercury - GPN-2000-000465.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The planet Mercury]]
''[[Mercury (planet)|Main article: Mercury (planet)]]''

Mercury is the planet that is closest to the [[Sun]] with a distance of 58 million kilometers. It is also the smallest planet in the [[Solar System]], now that [[Pluto]] has been 
demoted to
 reclassified as a "[[dwarf planet]]". Since it is the innermost planet, it has the quickest orbital period (88 days), and its surface temperature ranges between boiling and freezing; the former is due to the planet's close proximity to the Sun and the latter is due to the thin atmosphere letting heat escape, in contrast to [[Venus]]'s very thick atmosphere which keeps much of the heat in. Most importantly, the orbit of Mercury cannot be accurately predicted using the laws of mechanics derived by [[Newton]] and it wasn't until [[Einstein]]'s [[general relativity]], which explains [[gravity]] as distortions in spacetime, that the orbit could be predicted accurately. Scientists had previously attributed a partially-molten core to be the source of the anomaly in Mercury's orbit.

The orbit of Mercury has the greatest eccentricity (0.2056, cf. Earth 0.017) of all the planets in the Solar System.

In terms of surface features, Mercury is a battered world covered by craters of every size, with some hints of (likely past) volcanism as well as some large rips that are likely the result of the planet contracting after formation.

Paradoxically, going to Mercury is ''hard'' despite what one could naively think (ie: simply hurl the probe towards the Sun and let Mercury catch it when the former is close to the latter) as one must cancel a whole lot of kinetic energy to enter into orbit, this explaining why to date just two space missions have explored the planet: the "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_10 Mariner 10]" (which was just a fly-by that never entered Mercurial orbit) and "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MESSENGER MESSENGER]".

==The music==
''Mercury, the Winged Messenger'' is the scherzo section of Gustav Holst's suite of tone poems, "The Planets".<ref>[http://blip.fm/~48aye Isao Tomita's 1976 electronic version of Mercury, the Winged Messenger]</ref>

"Mercury Poisoning" by Graham Parker

Also, of course, there is the lead singer of the band Queen, Freddie Mercury {{lived|1946|1991}} (born Farrokh Bulsara). He picked his name because his [[astrology|sun sign]] was Virgo with Mercury rising.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=adNONbUWLjgC&pg=PT25&dq=Bulsara,+to+Mercury&hl=en Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock], page 22 (and who clearly know nothing about astrology - houses (ie constellations) rise, planets are in the houses.</ref>

==The coin==
[[File:Mercury Dime Stock Photo.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Actually worth a lot more than ten cents.]]
The {{wpl|Mercury dime}} was the [[United States]]'s [[United States dollar|ten cent coin]] released between 1916 and 1945. It was named because the obverse side featured a portrait of {{wpl|Liberty (personification)|Liberty}} that was commonly mistaken for the Roman god because of the {{wpl|Phrygian cap||.}}<ref>[https://www.rarecoinwholesalers.com/mercury-dimes-38 Mercury Dimes], ''Rare Coin Wholesalers'']</ref> The reverse of the coin had a [[fasces]] on it, a design element that was understandably removed on the post-[[World War II]] dimes featuring [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. The dimes obviously contain no elemental mercury, but they are made of 90% silver and thus are somewhat valuable today.<ref>[https://www.jmbullion.com/coin-info/dimes/mercury-dimes/ Mercury Dime (1916-1945)], ''JM Bullion''</ref>  Good luck, however, in finding one to pull out of circulation.

==The element==
[[File:Maximum thermometer close up 2.JPG|thumb|200px|Fucking thermometers, how do they work?]]
The metallic element mercury — also known as quicksilver ("quick" in the sense of "living") — is unique in being a liquid metal at room temperature, which is defined as somewhere in the region of 295K. What makes this trait truly unique is not merely that it is a metal that is liquid at room temperature, but also that it does not "wet" glass (meaning it doesn't stick to glass as water does). Gallium is a metal whose melting point is almost exactly room temperature, allowing one to melt it with one's own hand's body heat, but it does wet glass, and it tends to supercool; also, like water, gallium expands slightly when it is solidified. Cesium will be liquid on a hot day or at body temperature above 301K, but reacts quite violently with water; bromine is also a liquid at room temperature, but it is a halogen, not a metal, and like cesium, it is quite reactive in its pure form. Mercury's atomic number is 80 and symbol is Hg after its [[Latin]] name of ''hydrargyrum'', meaning "watery" (i.e. liquid) silver. It has been used extensively in thermometers, manometers (hence the pressure measurement of "millimeters of mercury" or "mmHg"), and electrical switches. With moderate exposure, it is also a neurotoxin, particularly when organic mercury compounds like methylmercury are formed. Historically, mercury compounds were used in hat making; the neurological effects of mercury exposure might have resulted in the expression "mad as a hatter". Mercury also has a tendency of dissolving other metals, making it very useful for (among other things) purifying [[gold]].<ref>[https://nature.berkeley.edu/classes/eps2/wisc/hg.html Mercury], ''UC Berkeley''</ref>

However, there does seem to be a connection between mercury and homosexuality in aquatic birds.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9243000/9243902.stm</ref> (Cue [[homophobia|homophobic]] [[fundamentalism|fundamentalists]] protesting the element, if they find out about this.)

===The mercury militia (or, actual dangers vs. woo)===
The "mercury militia" is a term coined by Orac of [[Respectful Insolence]] to describe a collective of [[quack]]s and their supporters who believe just about anything containing the slightest bit of mercury is toxic or deadly.<ref>See the [http://www.google.com/cse?cx=017254414699180528062%3Auyrcvn__yd0&q=mercury+militia+site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Finsolence%2F&sa=Search copious number of his posts on the mercury militia.]</ref> Mercury is, of course, dangerous ''[[The dose makes the poison|in certain doses]]''. The operative word being "doses".  Different chemical forms of mercury also have different levels of toxicity; elemental mercury is pretty toxic, and dimethylmercury is gram-for-gram one of the most poisonous substances known, but the mercury in [[thiomersal]] is relatively harmless.

The general logic of the "mercury militia" types is that mercury ''can'' be dangerous, [[overgeneralization|therefore]] anything containing mercury ''is'' dangerous. If you grew up in a house with a mercury thermometer in the window, it's probably time to start guzzling [[chlorella]] supplements!<ref group=note>And [[Joseph Mercola]] can sell you some for a one-time low price!</ref> This is generally a failure to understand the golden rule of toxicology: "[[The dose makes the poison]]" (or the [http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/TIB/dose-response.html dose-response curve,] to be technically correct). This line of reasoning is common to many types of "[[chemophobia]]". Here is a brief overview of real dangers versus [[fear-mongering]]:

===Real===
*Shattering mercury thermometers. Don't try this at home, kids.<ref>[http://epa.gov/hg/spills/#thermometer What to do if a thermometer breaks], EPA</ref>
*Mercury emissions from power plants.<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/earlink1/mercury/control_emissions/ Controlling Power Plant Emissions: Overview], EPA</ref>
*Mercury in fish.<ref>The FDA publishes [http://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/buystoreservesafefood/ucm110591.htm guidelines for mercury in fish and shellfish] and [http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/product-specificinformation/seafood/foodbornepathogenscontaminants/methylmercury/ucm115644.htm mercury levels in commercial fish and shellfish.]</ref> However, this is often blown out of proportion by quacks who insist nearly any consumption of fish will lead to mercury poisoning. In reality, the danger is related to what kind of fish you eat, how much of it you eat, and if your mother is pregnant with you while eating it (see the FDA guidelines below).
*Broken CFL light bulbs.<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html Cleaning up a broken CFL], EPA</ref> Another favorite of quacks, who will claim that using fluorescent bulbs will lead to mercury poisoning. This is false — the CFLs are only dangerous when broken, although as in many cases, the danger is in the dose, and the dose of mercury vapor from one or two broken CFLs really isn't enough to panic about most of the time.<ref group=note>Which is not to say that one should go breaking fluorescent lights for fun, but a broken bulb in a well-ventilated area isn't exactly cause for a Superfund project.</ref> Fluorescent lights rely on a tiny amount of ionized mercury to conduct electricity through their tubes, although even in large, commercial-sized bulbs, it's only a milligram amount. To give a sense of perspective, a mercury thermometer provides enough Hg for over 100 CFLs.<ref>https://www.epa.gov/cfl/what-are-connections-between-mercury-and-cfls</ref>
*Batteries, certain electronic equipment, and certain antique devices.<ref>See the EPA's list of [http://www.epa.gov/hg/consumer.htm Consumer and Commercial Products] containing mercury.</ref>
*{{wpl|Dimethylmercury}} is staggeringly toxic and can diffuse with ease through rubber gloves. Incredibly, it was considered as a possible rocket propellant in the 1950s, but its true danger wasn't revealed until the 1997 death of chemist {{wpl|Karen Wetterhahn}} from a tiny drop of the stuff. Fortunately, you're not likely to run into it outside of chem labs, and even those have mostly phased out its use, due to the aforementioned death.
*The Mercury Maze. A freaking ''toy!''<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0PGRWXJ_kg No, really!]</ref>
*{{wpl|Calomel||.}} It's worth noting that this was used in medicine up to the early twentieth century!
*Vermilion, a red pigment, is made of mercury sulfide. This, alongside other pigments like paris green ([[arsenic]]), cadmium yellow, and galena ([[lead]] which was used for gray or black), means that many of the great paintings of the Renaissance are severely toxic.
*Mercury nitrate, which was long used by milliners to turn rabbit hides into felt for hats. This is where the phrase "mad as a hatter" comes from.

===Woo===

[[File:Pouring liquid mercury bionerd.jpg|thumb|right|165px|What is this ''sorcerery''?]]

*Its use in a compound used to preserve vaccines, [[thiomersal]], has led to one common element of [[vaccine hysteria]], even though the compound has been shown not to be bioaccumulative and isn't used as extensively as anti-vax campaigners lead people to think.
*Mercury amalgam fillings are the basis for most [[dental woo]].
*Mercury as a quack cure has been consigned to the dustbin of history for the most part, but it's still used in [[traditional Chinese medicine|traditional Chinese]] (Qing Fen, 輕粉) and [[Ayurvedic medicine]], as well as [[curanderismo]].<ref name=bcmj>[http://www.bcmj.org/letters/mercury-and-chinese-herbal-medicine '' Mercury and Chinese herbal medicine''],Issue: BCMJ, Vol. 46, No. 9, November 2004, page(s) 442 Letters H.C. George Wong, MD.</ref><ref>[http://ebm.sagepub.com/content/233/7/810.full ''Mercury in Traditional Medicines: Is Cinnabar Toxicologically Similar to Common Mercurials?''], doi: 10.3181/0712-MR-336 Exp Biol Med (Maywood) July 2008 vol. 233 no. 7 810-817.</ref><ref>[http://newsarchive.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news-219201.html Ritualistic use of mercury remains a mystery—but health effects aren't]</ref> So just avoid that nonsense and you'll be fine.
* Mercury as a mainstream medical treatment for 2<sup>nd</sup>-stage [[syphilis]], popular when syphilis was first introduced to the Old World near the end of the Renaissance. The cautionary saying went: "A night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury."
*Lactose pills <strike>made from</strike> that theoretically contain magic memories of mercury are used in [[homeopathy]] to treat "bone pains and right-sided face pain [with] a night-time aggravation."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170502140648/http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/charity/how-we-can-help/articles/homeopathic-medicines/m/mercurius/ Jonathan Hardy, "Mercurius: A remedy with unique characteristics," British Homeopathic Association.]</ref> Given {{wpl|Dilution|how homeopathy (supposedly) works|,}} there isn't really much if any mercury in those pills.

===Mercury and crankery===
The mercury militia is responsible for a wide range of [[crank]] ideas purporting to diagnose and cure mercury poisoning. These include:
*Filling extraction kits and methods (again, see [[dental woo]]).
*[[Autism]] as a symptom of mercury poisoning.
*Use of [[chelation]] for conditions that are ''not'' mercury poisoning, e.g. autism.
*Use of [[hair analysis]] for diagnosing mercury poisoning.
*Use of a "provoking agent" prior to urine testing to discover "hidden body stores". This temporarily raises heavy metals in the urine and jeopardizes the results of legitimate urine tests.<ref>[https://quackwatch.org/related/Tests/urine_toxic/ How the "Urine Toxic Metals" Test Is Used to Defraud Patients]. [[Quackwatch]], 14 August 2019.</ref>
*"[[Cleanse|Cleansing]]" methods such as [[colonic]] irrigation and [[detox]] diets. These diets often include algal supplements such as [[chlorella]] and {{wpl|Spirulina (dietary supplement)|spirulina}} or are a form of liquid fast such as the [[lemonade diet]].
*[[Lupron therapy]] (see also the [[Geier family]]).

There's also "[[red mercury]]", which is [[conspiracy theory|claimed to be a code name]] for a substance used in triggering compact nuclear devices.<ref group=note>In the real, non-conspiracy world, nuclear warheads usually use some form of polymer-bonded explosive, i.e. a solid explosive like TNT or RDX bound into a solid plastic matrix, that starts a fission explosion, which is used to fire a secondary charge that contains the fusion fuel. Red mercury is supposed to be substantially more powerful, capable of triggering a supercritical state without a fission explosion. Needless to say, it's not necessarily impossible to do so with a chemical reaction, but it's very unlikely *cough*[[cold fusion]]*cough*.</ref> In actuality, it probably doesn't exist and was probably made up as {{wpl|Sting operation|bait}} to track people trying to obtain nuclear weapons materials on the {{wpl|black market||.}}<ref group=note>Alternatively, the phrase might have originated as a code word used in the early Soviet nuclear weapons program (analogous to "copper" as a code word for plutonium in the Manhattan Project years), which would lend verisimilitude to its use as a lure.</ref> The name might have been inspired by mercury-containing substances like mercury fulminate, a contact explosive used in ammunition cartridges, and mercury (II) thiocyanate or "Pharaoh's Serpent", a substance with similar but more dramatic properties to black snake fireworks, which are generally considered a safer alternative. Whether the probably fictional "red mercury" is actually supposed to be a mercury compound is anyone's guess.

===Some other fun===
[[Traditional Chinese medicine|Ancient Chinese doctors]] believed that consuming mercury would prolong your life. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, tried to achieve [[immortality]] by taking a concoction of mercury and powdered jade. [[Irony|Instead]], he got severe mercury poisoning, his liver stopped working, and he eventually became brain-dead.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20080704151150/http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_22854.htm</ref> Despite it being common knowledge that mercury elixirs were toxic, the practice continued for roughly two thousand years, with numerous emperors, nobles, scholars, and other Chinese officials falling prey to {{wpl|Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning||.}}

==External links==
*[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=jeremy-piven-mercury-poisoning What Is Mercury Poisoning?] ''[[Scientific American]]''
*[http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/05/here-have-some-mercury-pills-for-your-insomnia/ ''Here, have some mercury pills for your insomnia…''], Doubtful News.
*[http://lafayetteskeptics.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/the-march-of-the-mercury-militia/ March of the Mercury Militia], Lafayette Skeptics
*[http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/spring04/quackery.cfm That Quacking Sound in Colonial America], Colonial Williamsburg Journal
*[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Subcutaneous+injection+of+mercury%3A+"warding+off+evil"-a0137505372 Subcutaneous injection of mercury: "warding off evil"]
*[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Heavy+metal+harm%3A+the+fight+against+highly+toxic+mercury+in+the+...-a086048340 Heavy metal harm: the fight against highly toxic mercury in the environment has just begun]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Chinese medicine]]
[[category:Deities]]
[[category:Elements]]
[[Category:Indian medicine]]
[[Category:Mythology]]
[[Category:Toxins]]
[[Category:Woo]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Astronomy, Chinese medicine, Deities, Elements, Indian medicine, Mythology, Toxins, Woo