Seminole High School locked down after student brings mercury-filled thermometer to class for chemis - Polidicks

m-m-m-m-m-m-mmmmmmuricah!

Oh no, It's Mercury, and It's in a safe glass container, [B]SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE FUCKING SCHOOL[/B]

we had a bottle of mercury in our chemistry class

Um... We were allowed to fucking [I]dip our fingers in mercury[/I] in physics class. What the fuck is wrong with americans? :v:

what damage could have been done? The thermometer might have been broken, and a tiny amount of mercury may have landed on the floor... Its not like he brought in chemical weapons of mass destruction or anything

is that a thermometer in your pocket, or are you just wanting to kill me?

little do they know there is mercury in those CFL light bulbs, and a lot of normal florescents that are around that school. so dumb.

[QUOTE=nicatronTg;38723042]It's cliche, but [i]my grandfather played with mercury in class[/i] during high school. It's not as if he brought in something radioactive or a gun.[/QUOTE] Your grandfather probably played with mercury because at the time it wasn't known that mercury could be so deadly

[QUOTE=DHB;38723184]Jesus, it's not like he brought it to engage in chemical warfare. [editline] . [/editline] What was he going to do, stick it up somebody's ass and break it?[/QUOTE] Mercury was at one point prescribed as a laxative. Even if you did shove it up someones ass and break it, they would probably suffer more complications from the glass than the mercury.

You guys don't get it. It's obvious someone is gonna break it and then roll around in the small ammount of mercury, wet their fingers in it and scrub it on everyone they can.

My physics teacher used to mention that she and her classmates used to flick balls of mercury at eachother This just sounds pathetic

[QUOTE=nicatronTg;38723042]Wow, that's a pathetic waste of time right there. It's cliche, but [i]my grandfather played with mercury in class[/i] during high school. It's not as if he brought in something radioactive or a gun.[/QUOTE] My school has a bunch of highly radioactive isotope samples and chunks of uranium ore in lockup along with a bunch of large geiger counters in the chemistry room. Dangerous substances are not a big threat if you know how to handle them properly.

Mercury is dangerous, sure, but it requires little more than "Timmy please put the thermometer back in your bag and don't bring it to school again thanks" [editline]6th December 2012[/editline] It's okay I didn't want it to automerge anyway [editline]6th December 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=ultra_bright;38725306]My school has a bunch of highly radioactive isotope samples and chunks of uranium ore in lockup along with a bunch of large geiger counters in the chemistry room. Dangerous substances are not a big threat if you know how to handle them properly.[/QUOTE] The kind of stuff you'd find in school is generally in such small quantities (or just of low intensity), they wouldn't put anything too dangerous in the hands of kids

Hell my school probably still has mercury thermometers my schools are like 70% asbestos anyway

American education system at work... But hey it probably got them out of class for sometime

[QUOTE=markfu;38723137]Your grandfather played with mercury? My brother used mercury thermometers in Summer school (naturally someone broke one [what do you expect from middle schoolers?] and that class got canceled for a day.)[/QUOTE] I held one in front my bed lamp and it broke and mercury got all over my pillow and that wasn't very good, I guess. it literally exploded when I held it on the lamp

Dude I have a jar of this stuff sitting at home. Holds no more than a cup of mercury, but the thing weighs a TON.

[QUOTE=Glaber;38723478]Sad thing is, if it really is as bad as they're (over)reacting, why are they pushing those swirly bulbs for the home? I mean seriously, double standard to the extremes much?[/QUOTE] the chances of a lightbulb being broken are a lot smaller, and they provide a benefit over traditional lightbulbs unlike mercury thermometers where their function could easily be done with a non-mercury thermometer. Also this [quote]In July 2008 the U.S. EPA published a data sheet stating that the net system emission of mercury for CFL lighting was lower than for incandescent lighting of comparable lumen output. This was based on the average rate of mercury emission for U.S. electricity production and average estimated escape of mercury from a CFL put into a landfill.[/quote]

[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;38725690]Dude I have a jar of this stuff sitting at home. Holds no more than a cup of mercury, but the thing weighs a TON.[/QUOTE] Drink Mercury. Become Iron Man.

[QUOTE=koeniginator;38725281]Your grandfather probably played with mercury because at the time it wasn't known that mercury could be so deadly[/QUOTE] "deadly" is a bit of a misnomer It causes poisoning, but it's a collective poison, like lead. As long as you aren't constantly surrounded by and exposed to the stuff, and don't do something like drink a bottle of it, it's not that dangerous.

"Hazmat Team A, we are heading out in 5, SUIT UP" "Chief, what happened? Was there a chemical attack??" "No, Simmons, you ignorant slut, it's worse than that. Some kid brought a thermometer to school." "Oh. My God."

[QUOTE=Tigster;38725963]"Hazmat Team A, we are heading out in 5, SUIT UP" "Chief, what happened? Was there a chemical attack??" "No, Simmons, you ignorant slut, it's worse than that. Some kid brought a thermometer to school." "Oh. My God."[/QUOTE] And he kisses the picture of his wife before tearfully putting it in his suit. He knows he isn't coming back from this one.

I graduated from seminole high school. But it was in Sanford not Pinellis. Too many Seminole high schools :(

At my school a student dropped mercury in a chemistry class and the teacher just cleaned it up. No hazmat teams an as far as I know no one died.

I'd rather it was mercury than uranium or arsenic etc.

Reminds me of this: [img]http://www.freeimagehosting.net/newuploads/ndulj.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Glaber;38723006]why are schools using mercury filled lights?[/QUOTE] I only just heard this was true. Complete imbeciles if you ask me.

And to think, I spilled some mercury out of one of these in my school, which resulted in the whole thing being double bagged and thrown in the dumpster. :v: [img_thumb]http://www.novalynx.com/images/230-7420-7410.jpg[/img_thumb]

Seriously? People used to juggle mercury in their hands in schools and are they all dead? No, they're fucking fine, what's the big deal.

[QUOTE=SnakeHead;38723113]Someone shattered a mercury-filled thermometer in the hall in school once. The school was closed for a week while they ripped out all the carpets and sent in a hazmat crew to clean up the place.[/QUOTE] They should have got the janitor to clean it up, it would save a lot of money.