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Re: [Phys-l] Isotope chemistry and physics



"John Clement" clement@hal-pc.org> 3/17/2009 2:59 pm >>
[snip]
I would say it is most often used for substances which
are not needed for life, but which can kill us in sufficient dosages.
[snip]
I would consider anything not necessary that can kill you in a few years,
weeks, or minutes to be poisonous.
[snip]
------------------------------------------
So, John, would some people consider your words to be poisonous?...Just kidding...no malice intended at all. The setup was too hard to resist. I'm sure my students would say the same about me.

My point is that labeling something poisonous in a common, casual statement carries a connotation of having immediate life-threatening effect. Officially recognized poisons have LD-50's attached to them, and D2O doesn't. Lead and mercury do. Your point about vinegar is interesting. In the former USSR, the vinegar was high strength acetic acid, sold in small (100 mL) bottles; for cooking one had to dilute it. People committed suicide by drinking the bottle.

Again, I'm encouraging against being sensational with our language, and casually calling something "poison" without justification is sensational.

Just as "theory" means something different to us compared to the general public, so does "poison."

Bill

[snip]
I'm simply asking you to not be
sensational with your adjectives.



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