Lead: The Original Artificial Sweetener
Lead is really useful when you add it to things like paint and gasoline. Problem is, it's also poisonous. Hosted by: Hank Green ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to ...
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As elements on the periodic table go, lead is pretty handy. It's not exactly oxygen or nitrogen but it has some admirable qualities. Like it's heavy, but soft and malleable. In the form of lead dioxide it's highly conductive which makes it useful in batteries and it's so incredibly dense that it's great at blocking out things like ionizing radiation. Lead is good for all sorts of things. But it is also poisonous, really very poisonous. For the last 5,000 years or so humanity has been so enamored of all of its wonderful traits that we've been killing ourselves with it. When inhaled or ingested, lead is readily absorbed into the blood, where it can slow down the transport of oxygen and eventually build up in your kidneys, brain, liver, heart, and especially bon...
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As elements on the periodic table go, lead is pretty handy. It's not exactly oxygen or nitrogen but it has some admirable qualities. Like it's heavy, but soft and malleable. In the form of lead dioxide it's highly conductive which makes it useful in batteries and it's so incredibly dense that it's great at blocking out things like ionizing radiation. Lead is good for all sorts of things. But it is also poisonous, really very poisonous. For the last 5,000 years or so humanity has been so enamored of all of its wonderful traits that we've been killing ourselves with it. When inhaled or ingested, lead is readily absorbed into the blood, where it can slow down the transport of oxygen and eventually build up in your kidneys, brain, liver, heart, and especially bon...
