this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] whome@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 13 minutes ago

I'm slightly infuriated that green doesn't say: yes, you can!

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 points 13 minutes ago

OH BOI, HERE I GO LICKING RADIOACTIVE CARBON ISOTOPES AGAIN!

[–] underscores@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I'll take a pint of the purple stuff to go, please

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 points 12 minutes ago

Jokes on you, it'll decay before you reach the car.

[–] pankuleczkapl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 6 hours ago

This diagram is way way way too conservative with the "see you on the other side" classification. To name a few: fluorine will literally make you catch fire instantly (if there's more of it, you will basically get burned to a crisp before you can even blink), caesium will violently react with water in your mouth and produce so much hydrogen and heat, the whole mixture will instantly explode (in fact, this will not only be a usual, fire-like explosion, it will in addition to that be a so-called Coulomb explosion, which makes the situation even worse)

[–] PaulBunyan@lemmy.world 30 points 11 hours ago (3 children)
[–] not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 5 hours ago

can you see these? 🤔

[–] waterSticksToMyBalls@lemmy.world 29 points 10 hours ago

It just means you can lick them all

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 12 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Exactly.

They could very easily just keep the color for color seeing people, and then add a simple pattern in the background.

Like maybe diagonal lines on one, wavy horizontal lines in another, small dots in another, etc.

Just pretend you are taking a black and white picture or making a black and white copy on an old copy machine. Can you still interpret the data afterwards? If yes, then you did it right.

[–] grumpusbumpus@lemmy.world 10 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Licking Lead is only "not a great idea?" I think it's squarely in the "Please don't do that" territory.

[–] Donkter@lemmy.world 25 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

You can absolutely lick lead once without any noticeable consequences. You need to be living in constant interaction with lead to get poisoning.

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago

The best part is that if you do it enough you will forget what the problem is and an continue to lick lead.

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 62 points 14 hours ago (6 children)

I have to admit that I absolutely love how licking sodium or chloride individually is very bad for you, but when you put them together, you can lick, eat, and even swim in it all day with minimal ill health effects.

Science. 💙

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 43 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

Sodium reacts violently in water
Chlorine was used in mustard gas
Sodium chloride : I make the soup too salty (yuckyCat.jpg)

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[–] BootLoop@sh.itjust.works 17 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (3 children)

swim in it all day

If you submerged your body in table salt in a swimming pool for an entire day, would you come out dehydrated and start to turn cured like beef jerky?

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

If it’s anything like pool salt, probably not. I have a neighbor who uses pool salt, and I feel like I come out less shriveled (in my fingers of course 😏) than if it were chlorine water.

[–] theluckyone@discuss.online 1 points 5 hours ago

I was in the pool!

[–] vivalapivo@lemmy.today 9 points 11 hours ago

(Homer Simpson) Mhh cured beef jerky

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[–] moopet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 hours ago

Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life.

[–] UpAndAtThem@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Yes you can! ...well I'm gone!

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 8 hours ago

Missed opportunity for sure!

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 9 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Go ahead and lick pure oxygen. Nothing wrong with that, sure.

[–] Siethron@lemmy.world 14 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

You know O2 is pure oxygen right? Unless we're getting into the technicality of if things in there gaseous forms can be licked it's safe.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

i think gasses can be licked, for example - if i put menthol shards into hot cup of water, i can definitely feel it on my tongue if i lick the air above the cup. therefore, lickable

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[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 43 points 14 hours ago (3 children)

It's never occurred to me that I can lick neon

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 21 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Can you lick a gas? Licking liquid neon is very unwise.

[–] knatschus@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 8 hours ago

Then lick solid neon, duh

You can lick xenon. Even inhale. Very fancy and very expensive. Show those nitrous plebs that you have the wealth to enjoy real chemical cuisine!

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[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago

PlumBum is my favorite flavor.

[–] BeNotAfraid@lemmy.world 18 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Why isn't one of those responses

"Yes, you can!" ?

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 11 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Because "Sure, go for it" is just that worded another way.

[–] BeNotAfraid@lemmy.world 6 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Listen to more music, bro.

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[–] Maxxie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 30 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Licking most of the transuranium elements would entale sticking your tongue in a particle collider. Which I think is a fun Friday night 🤪

[–] wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 22 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Collider? I barely know her!

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[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 7 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

* Under standard conditions for temperature and pressure

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

I’ve been told that uranium tastes just like lemon drops.

[–] PrimeMinisterKeyes@leminal.space 9 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Lick mercury? Plenty of people carry lumps of it right in their teeth, 24/7.

[–] vithigar@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I responded similarly when I saw this posted before. Yes, mercury can be very toxic if it gets into your blood, but the chances of that happening from a lick are astonishingly small.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 points 25 minutes ago

To my understanding, organic compounds are where the real danger is with mercury.

[–] napkin2020@sh.itjust.works 8 points 12 hours ago

Licks liquid Nitrogen

[–] BootLoop@sh.itjust.works 7 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Titanium should not be on a higher danger level than lead.

Edit: Tl != Ti

[–] dmention7@midwest.social 11 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

That's Thallium (Tl). Titanium (Ti) is a happy shade of green.

(I'm only replying because I thought that same thing at first glance)

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 points 23 minutes ago

Titanium (Ti) is a happy shade of green.

And I would certainly hope so. You can buy eating utensils made from titanium.

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[–] aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Technically you can lick anything. You just won't be around for long if you lick some of them.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 7 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

And none of the answers say that you can't. Some of them just say that you shouldn't.

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