Captain Obvious Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin I imagine it would be hard to stay upright if you were floating knee-deep in mercury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin I have heard that the legs make up about 1/3 of a (relatively fit) person's overall body weight, and thus, about 1/3 of their overall body volume. They will actually make up a bit less than 1/3 of the volume, since they are probably denser than the body on average, what, with them being made of mostly muscle and bone, with no organs and little fat, or other low density material. but just for figuring purposes, call them 1/3 of the volume. Now...mercury is ~13.6 times as dense as water, and water is about as dense as human flesh. So... one only needs to immerse 1/13.6th of one's body volume in mercury to float on it. And that's considerably less than the entirety of one's legs, but a bit more than just the feet. If the legs below the knee make up 1/3 of the total leg volume, then knee deep would still mean one would be displacing 13.6/9ths his body weight, and thus float. Standing on one foot would let you touch bottom, though. balance would still be difficult, I suspect. The other thing to consider when entering a room who's floor is covered in mercury would be the toxic fumes that would come off that much exposed surface area. Worse if someone is using a flamethrower... Didn't your dad have a big jar of Mercury? we could try to find a volunteer to test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsider Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin He did, but 1) I think he sold it to a metals recycler years ago, and 2) 'Big' is a relative term... it was only about a quart, IIRC. Still, a quart of mercury is about 30 pounds of the stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin He did' date=' but 1) I think he sold it to a metals recycler years ago, and 2) 'Big' is a relative term... it was only about a quart, IIRC. Still, a quart of mercury is about 30 pounds of the stuff.[/quote'] I thought I remembered he had sold it, but thought it was funny, in an evil way of course. Another trick for the Tarkon tombs? /shudder/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin I recall from a talk about liquid-mirror telescopes that the astronomers weren't that worried about the fumes coming off the mercury, though the environmental health people more or less defecate the Great Wall whenever the concept is described to them. The metal itself is not toxic; it's mercury salts that are. The poisonings usually are those who either mine the stuff or process it (or eat stuff that comes from where the toxins have been dumped). So exploring the room for a few weeks, with or without fights with undead soldiers, I don't think poses much risk to mercury poisoning. Although you can't see through it, almost everything you can think of will float on mercury. (The big exception is gold, which will sink out of sight and, perhaps, dissolve eventually... mercury has been used since Roman times, maybe, to bring gold out of ores in this way.) Get stunned, drop your greatsword or tommy gun, no problem ... it's floating on the top of the mercury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Although you can't see through it' date=' almost everything you can think of will float on mercury. (The big exception is gold, which will sink out of sight and, perhaps, dissolve eventually... mercury has been used since Roman times, maybe, to bring gold out of ores in this way.) Get stunned, drop your greatsword or tommy gun, no problem ... it's floating on the top of the mercury.[/quote'] Its density is 13.55 g/cm3 Thus, mercury is denser than lead. Gold's density is 19.30, platinum's is 21.4, so both sink in mercury; silver at 10.5 and palladium at 12.0, will float in mercury. Interesting stuff, all in all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsider Posted November 5, 2005 Report Share Posted November 5, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Elemental mercury is toxic also, just not -as- toxic as mercury salts. At least according to the Illinios department of public health (the first page I came to on a "Elemental mercury toxicity" search) How can people be exposed to elemental mercury? Inhalation of elemental mercury vapor is the most common route of exposure. When liquid mercury is spilled or allowed to come in contact with air, it evaporates. Heating mercury by burning it or spilling it on a hot surface causes evaporation to occur at a much faster rate, making exposure much greater. When a mercury-containing product breaks or when mercury is used in a cultural practice, it can lead to elevated levels of mercury vapor in the home. These levels can persist in the home for many months, especially if no one has properly removed the mercury. Exposure also can occur through ingestion or dermal contact, but these routes have a much smaller degree of absorption and are rarely the cause of elemental mercury toxicity. How is elemental mercury absorbed and metabolized? When inhaled, about 80 percent of elemental mercury is absorbed into the blood stream through the alveoli. Because it is fat soluble, mercury readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and placenta. When ingested, only a small amount (0.01%) is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, making toxicity from this route rare. Dermal absorption also is negligible. Once in the body, mercury is oxidized and eventually eliminated in the urine and feces. The half-life of elemental mercury in the body is approximately 60 days. Mercury accumulates in the kidneys, erythrocytes, bone marrow, liver, spleen, lungs, skin and hair. The most common effects of mercury exposure are manifested in the central nervous system. What are the symptoms and health effects of elemental mercury exposure? Acute exposure to mercury vapor leads to pulmonary and central nervous system effects. Inhalation of high levels of mercury vapor can cause the onset of symptoms such as cough, dyspnea, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and a metallic taste in the mouth. These symptoms can progress to interstitial pneumonitis and pulmonary edema. Young children are at the greatest risk of developing pulmonary toxicity. Chronic exposure to lower levels of mercury vapor causes effects to the central nervous system. Symptoms of chronic poisoning vary, but may include tremors, psychological changes, insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability, headache and short-term memory loss. Direct contact with the skin can lead to dermatitis. A rare syndrome called acrodynia, or “pink’s disease,†can occur in children exposed to mercury vapor. Its symptoms include severe leg cramps, irritability and painful pink fingers with peeling hands. Few children exposed to mercury develop acrodynia. http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/mercuryhlthprof.htm Doesnt look like it is necessarily a deadly poison though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted November 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin One could write a great Doctor Who episode around this whole setup, actually. With any number of possible technobabble explanations for a revival of Emperor Qin or someone who thinks he is Emperor Qin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted November 27, 2005 Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin One could write a great Doctor Who episode around this whole setup' date=' actually. With any number of possible technobabble explanations for a revival of Emperor Qin or someone who [i']thinks[/i] he is Emperor Qin. Wasn't that called "The Pyramids of Mars?" JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted November 27, 2005 Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Bad idea for the Chinese. Comapred to Qin, Tarkofaes was a Boy Scout.... Trying to revive Qin would be like summong the ghost of Hitler.No offense, but I think you are ridiculously over selling Qin in comparison to Takofanes. As written, Takofanes would make any depravity that Qin could possibly have comitted within his lifetime look like pulling the wings off a fly in comparison. Qin, was but a man. Takofanes was Kal Turok the CU's Sauron/Vecna/Azalin all rolled into one. Takofanes, as he is currently written in the CU, dined on the still beating hearts of children, drank wine maid from the tears of brides who's husbands he had killed on the day of their weddings, and for dessert a pudding made from the necromantically congealed souls of a thousand expectant mothers and unborn children. Working 100,000 people to death to build your capitol doesn't even come close to equalling that. (This is just a guess at something that Qin might have done, I haven't read much on him and can only guess at the cruelties he committed during his reign) TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted November 27, 2005 Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin No offense, but I think you are ridiculously over selling Qin in comparison to Takofanes. As written, Takofanes would make any depravity that Qin could possibly have comitted within his lifetime look like pulling the wings off a fly in comparison. Qin, was but a man. Takofanes was Kal Turok the CU's Sauron/Vecna/Azalin all rolled into one. Takofanes, as he is currently written in the CU, dined on the still beating hearts of children, drank wine maid from the tears of brides who's husbands he had killed on the day of their weddings, and for dessert a pudding made from the necromantically congealed souls of a thousand expectant mothers and unborn children. Working 100,000 people to death to build your capitol doesn't even come close to equalling that. (This is just a guess at something that Qin might have done, I haven't read much on him and can only guess at the cruelties he committed during his reign) TB The Great Wall of China isn't merely a former defensive fortification, it's also a giant tombstone for all the people who died working on it who's bodies were tossed into the pits so construction wouldn't slow down. Emperor Qin was responsible for all that and considering the Great Wall is so long that it's visible from outer space, I'd say it's more then 100,000 people dead. Plus all the ficitional evil you can name doesn't mean squat compared to an atrocity that really happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin The Great wall was neither built by Qin, nor is it visible form space (long but comparatively thin). It was built during the Ming Dynasty, many, many centuries later. It is true that Qin did join together several existing walls. These are not the Great Wall as commonly referred to. While doubtless Qin killed (or more accurately, casued the death of) many people in his lifetime, to extrapolate 100,000 from the size of a wall he never saw is not very realistic. History is full of real monsters; the ancient world was a place where life was cheap. Qin was but one of many. He certainly didn't cause as many deaths as Hitler, Pol Pot or Stalin, and they were within living memory. Keith "Wondering if he's proven Godwin's Law" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin The Great wall was neither built by Qin, nor is it visible form space (long but comparatively thin). It was built during the Ming Dynasty, many, many centuries later. It is true that Qin did join together several existing walls. These are not the Great Wall as commonly referred to. While doubtless Qin killed (or more accurately, casued the death of) many people in his lifetime, to extrapolate 100,000 from the size of a wall he never saw is not very realistic. History is full of real monsters; the ancient world was a place where life was cheap. Qin was but one of many. He certainly didn't cause as many deaths as Hitler, Pol Pot or Stalin, and they were within living memory. Keith "Wondering if he's proven Godwin's Law" Curtis Ok my bad on the wall thing, though he did start construction on it as I recall and the Ming dynasty actually completed it. However the people who worked upon it were tossed into the foundations when they died. At any rate, my point was not that Qin was the worst dictator out there but merely that evil that actually happened is far worse then the fictional variety because it actually happened. Could've sworn I heard that the wall was visible from space though, or maybe it was just visible by sattellite? Ah well, not important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin The Great Wall is a series of walls, started at various times in history, with some of them joined together at later times. The history of it is a little tangled, since the Chinese didn't see anything too exciting about it until Westerners started coming around remarking on it. Parts of it really aren't too exciting at all. There are parts out in the far west that a reasonably athletic "invader" could run, jump, and climb onto the top, and drop down the other side. http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0301/feature1/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin The visible from space thing is an old misconception, repeated often enough to be thought of as "fact" by many. Usually the claim is amde as being visible from the Moon. Check out Snopes And yes, life was cheap as free in the Bad Old Days. Check out the specs for the opening days of the Colosseum. Keith "bloody times" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin The Great Wall of China isn't merely a former defensive fortification' date=' it's also a giant tombstone for all the people who died working on it who's bodies were tossed into the pits so construction wouldn't slow down. Emperor Qin was responsible for all that and considering the Great Wall is so long that it's visible from outer space, I'd say it's more then 100,000 people dead. Plus all the ficitional evil you can name doesn't mean squat compared to an atrocity that really happened.[/quote']If we're going to get into a pissing contest between a mythologically remembered real person and a purely fictional person, I think I can bring in those aspects of the fictional character that are obvious within the realm of that fictional character's nature. And again, working a bunch of people to death is not equivalent to murdering people for the pure pleasure of it. I'd rate Lady Bathory far more evil than Vlad Tepes' impaling, she murdered people to bath in their blood, he executed for what he considered crimes against the throne/state. Yes, it may not be a distinction that you hold, but I think others would agree with me. TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin And again' date=' working a bunch of people to death is not equivalent to murdering people for the pure pleasure of it. I'd rate Lady Bathory far more evil than Vlad Tepes' impaling, she murdered people to bath in their blood, he executed for what he considered crimes against the throne/state. Yes, it may not be a distinction that you hold, but I think others would agree with me.[/quote'] In certain parts of Wallachia/Romania, Vlad Tepes is a hero for his stand against the Turks. Countess Bathory is pretty much a colorful footnote on blood fetishes and vampirism. So I would agree with TB here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Well I'd call working a bunch of people to death, deliberately doing it to be precise, a form of murder which gets us into all sorts of thorny arguments about the definition of murder. Can we at least agree that none of these people are very nice and we'd just as soon not see them come back in any form let alone that of a living dead creature? Though of course if we're talking Vlad Tepes aka Dracula, it may be already too late for certain pulp games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Can we at least agree that none of these people are very nice and we'd just as soon not see them come back in any form let alone that of a living dead creature? Yesiree bob. Keith "doesn't want to see even really nice people come back as living dead creatures" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted December 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Keith "doesn't want to see even really nice people come back as living dead creatures" Curtis As Stephen King demonstrated so aptly, that may not even be a good idea for household pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin As Stephen King demonstrated so aptly' date=' that may not even be a good idea for [i']household pets[/i]. You want an undead Chinese Emporer as a household pet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin You want an undead Chinese Emporer as a household pet ? No. jg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin You want an undead Chinese Emporer as a household pet ? Will he take the trash out? If so, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Will he take the trash out? If so' date=' yes.[/quote'] Though given his attitude from what little I've read of him, he's liable to consider YOU trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 Re: The Treasure of Emperor Qin Though given his attitude from what little I've read of him' date=' he's liable to consider YOU trash. [/quote'] It's so hard to get good domestic help these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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