this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] marcos@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (7 children)

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

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[–] don@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago

Some of those in the actinoid [sic] series are gonna be really difficult to lick simply because of how unbelievably short their half-life is, or those such as mendelevium, that require you to either have access to (and in other cases even have your head inside of) a linear particle collider.

[–] Tower@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 day ago

You know, I'm surprised by how much green is on here. I would have expected much more red and purple.

[–] AyuTsukasa@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 day ago

The most useful chart 😅

[–] teft@piefed.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I want to meet the motherfucker bold enough to lick cesium.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I don't think you'd be licking much of anything after that. It's the one at 10 seconds in the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YNsIaSbFdg

They're so casual about it too.

[–] SpaceRanger13@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 day ago

For the tactile learners out there!

[–] PrimeMinisterKeyes@leminal.space 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] BreadOven@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Technically they're amalgams with silver or other metals. Different properties and such.

[–] vithigar@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day 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.

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

[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

PlumBum is my favorite flavor.

[–] napkin2020@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Tja@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago

Licking hydrogen is safe? Licks the sun

[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago

If chemistry was spearheaded by goats

[–] BootLoop@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

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

Edit: Tl != Ti

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

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

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago

Missed opportunity for sure!

[–] aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 day 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 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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

[–] renzhexiangjiao@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

licking uranium is only "maybe not the best idea"?

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Compared to some of the others it's pretty low in radioactivity (isotope dependent)

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[–] koper@feddit.nl 6 points 1 day ago

I think I would rather lick Technetium than Lithium

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

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

[–] moopet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Fermion@feddit.nl 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Radon should be yellow. You don't want long term exposure of it in your lungs, but it's still mostly chemically inert and not a significant immediate danger.

[–] wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Just like how lithium should be red. Just because it's less likely to explode your face open doesn't mean that it's just "not a good idea". It immediately creates pure Lithium Hydroxide, which will immediately start saponifying your mouth, and that's assuming it doesn't immediately light on fire, like the last time I did that experiment.

[–] vivalapivo@lemmy.today 3 points 1 day ago

Saw this table already here.

In no circumstances you should lick Bohr. Go lick Lead instead - it's much safer

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