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Red Mercury

rynner2 said:
The Singer sewing machines are said to contain traces of red mercury, a substance that may not exist.
How ridiculous. Everyone knows it's Husqvarnas that contain red mercury. Singers contain monopasium 239.
 
wembley8 said:
"I thought 'red mercury' was another name for cinnebar"

It may be that as well, but it is also the nickname of a mysterious substance allegedly manufactured in Russian nuclear reactors that has nothing to do with conventional mercury.
Its made by triple filtering bullshit.
ive got an email from someone in Nigeria who says he can get hold of some.
 
KarlD said:
wembley8 said:
"I thought 'red mercury' was another name for cinnebar"

It may be that as well, but it is also the nickname of a mysterious substance allegedly manufactured in Russian nuclear reactors that has nothing to do with conventional mercury.
Its made by triple filtering bullshit.
Well that certainly cuts to the chase.
 
I get the impression the the "red matter" in the latest Star Trek movie, is a a riff on "red mercury"....
 
Well it makes a change from the usual unobtainium.
 
Does this go here?

'Red mercury': why does the myth persist?

For centuries rumours have persisted about a powerful and mysterious substance. And these days, adverts and videos offering it for sale can be found online. Why has the story of "red mercury" endured?
Some people believe it's a magical healing elixir found buried in the mouths of ancient Egyptian mummies.
Or could it be a powerful nuclear material that might bring about the apocalypse?
Videos on YouTube extol its vampire-like properties. Others claim it can be found in vintage sewing machines or in the nests of bats.
There's one small problem with these tales - the substance doesn't actually exist. Red mercury is a red herring.
(c) BBC '19.
 
Here's an angle on the red mercury mystery which hasn't been mentioned yet. Paracelsus is supposed to have created a red substance he called "philosopher's mercury" which exhibited physical characteristics similar to the more modern descriptions of the substance.
Red Mercury

Red mercury is an enigmatic substance said to have originated in a Soviet nuclear programme. Described as a dense, cherry-red liquid, it is said to possess remarkable properties. It can be used to make miniature nuclear warheads, stealth coatings and medicine. Although there have been many attempts to sell bogus red mercury on the black market, the real thing has never appeared and is thought to be a myth.

Paracelsus created a substance known as ‘Azoth’ or philosophers’ mercury. It was “a powder of the reddest colour, almost like saffron, yet the whole corporeal substance is liquid like resin... it is a ruby colour of the greatest weight.” He carried it in its powdered form in the pommel of his sword. Azoth had two separate functions: “according to the former mode it can be applied for the renewing of the body; according to the latter it is to be used for the transmutation of metals.”

Although he claimed to have performed transmutation, Paracelsus was not interested in it. “Though you may be able to produce a ton of gold, consider that you cannot consume a ton.” He was more enthusiastic about the healing power of the mercury, which he said consumed all diseases “just like an invisible fire”. He used it to cure not only syphilis and leprosy but also lupus and cancers.

In the 20th century, radioactivity was used to transmute metals (in tiny quantities) and to destroy cancer. Paracelsus was knowledgeable about mining, and was initiated into shamanic mysteries in Russian Siberia, an area known for radioactive minerals.

It seems unlikely that Paracelsus actually discovered a miracle substance unknown to western science before or since – so perhaps Red Mercury is simply the modern incarnation of a very old scam. (see FT69:44, FT 127:32).

SOURCE: An article from Fortean Times in 2002 ...

Paracelsus: The Mercurial mage
Paracelsus was a genuine Renaissance man: "alchemist, scientist, medical visionary and proto-fortean." David Hambling assesses the life and legacy of this self-proclaimed "monarch of all the arts".
By David Hambling April 2002

No longer accessible at the magazine's online presence, this MIA article can still be accessed via the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/2007101...ticles/248/paracelsus_the_mercurial_mage.html
 
I have an old tube of oil paint, which is the most beautiful intense red. It's actually made from mercury.
Difficult to get toxic pigments like that today.
 
I have an old tube of oil paint, which is the most beautiful intense red. It's actually made from mercury.
Difficult to get toxic pigments like that today.

I wonder why mercury was involved since it's silver in colour.
 
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