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No. 362: Periodic Table: 31 Gallium

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Periodic Table: 31 Gallium

First | Previous | 2016-03-21 | Next | Latest

Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/dinosaur/?comic=362

Strip by: David Morgan-Mar

T-Rex: T-Rex presents The Periodic Table:
T-Rex: 31 GALLIUM
T-Rex: A metal which melts at 29.76°C, just slightly above room temperature. It will melt in your mouth, AND in your hand. Literally!
T-Rex: Discovered by French chemist Paul Lecoq, whose surname means
T-Rex: "The rooster". And Latin for rooster is "gallus", hence "gallium"!
Utahraptor: Whoa!
T-Rex: At some point this comic crossed from truth to falsehood. Guess where!
T-Rex: 1+1=3!

The author writes:

Gallium is explicitly listed in Australia Post's list of materials which it is illegal to send through the mail in Australia. Presumably because if you mailed a lump of gallium, it would melt in some hot mail sorting room somewhere and leak out through the box.

Equally interestingly, the very same list says you are not allowed to mail any live animals, except for bees. True!