Thallium Quotes

“Scarily, cadmium is not even the worst poison among the elements. It sits above mercury, a neurotoxin. And to the right of mercury sit the most horrific mug shots on the periodic table—thallium, lead, and polonium—the nucleus of poisoner’s corridor.”
― Sam Kean, The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

“This is waste of time. Also waste of my food.'

'I need to know if I can eat your food.'

'Eat your own food.'

'I've only got a few months of real food left. You have enough aboard your ship to feed a crew of twenty-three Eridians for years. Erid life and Earth life use the same proteins. Maybe I can eat your food.'

'Why you say "real food", question? What is non-real food, question?'

I checked the readout again. Why does Eridian food have so many heavy metals in it? 'Real food is food that tastes good. Food that's fun to eat.'

'You have not-fun food, question?'

'Yeah. Coma slurry. The ship fed it to me during the trip here. I have enough to last me almost four years.'

'Eat that.'

'It tastes bad.'

'Food experience not that important.'

'Hey,' I point at him. 'To humans, food experience is very important.'

'Humans strange.'

I point at the spectrometer readout screen. 'Why does Eridian food have thallium in it?'

'Healthy.'

'Thallium kills humans!'

'Then eat human food.'

'Ugh.”
― Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary