3 ms·
>ymyakon earned its title as the coldest place on Earth when the mercury plunged to -90. Mercury doesn't plunge to -90 (C or F) because mercury has a melting p
by ptaipale 12y ago
>ymyakon earned its title as the coldest place on Earth when the mercury plunged to -90.
Mercury doesn't plunge to -90 (C or F) because mercury has a melting point at -37.9 °F or -38.8 °C.
This is a fairly common fallacy from people who aren't thinking through. Thermometers used in cold places usually have coloured alcohol as liquid, not mercury.
I think most Western countries have actually got rid of mercury thermometers altogether, because it's poisonous and also because it's a too nice material to make bomb detonators.
- skj 12y agoWhile the factoid is appreciated, I don't think it's fair to call it a fallacy: 'the mercury' is a common metaphor for temperature these days, whether the element mercury is involved in the process or not.
- joevandyk 12y agoBe right back, going to Xerox some papers. Pass me the Kleenex? Give the Tesla some gas, let's go man!
- Florin_Andrei 12y agoRelax, it's just a figure of speech.
- ptaipale 12y agoOf course. It's just a bit broken in an article that concentrates on the properties of extreme cold - it's like "xeroxing a floppy disk". Which someone has allegedly done.
- kybernetyk 12y agoIt's just figure of speech.