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Mercury, Hats, and the Periodic Table of Death and Mystery

Mercury, Hats, and the Periodic Table of Death and Mystery

Update: 2024-09-15

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Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter wore a top hat made of felt—but not the felt you find in craft stores and kindergartens. This felt was made of mercury-treated animal fur. For those who prepared the felt and created the hats, mercury had a devastating effect on the brain and neurological systems. And the actual history of how mercury became a part of the felting industry is, well, yuck.

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Mercury, Hats, and the Periodic Table of Death and Mystery

Mercury, Hats, and the Periodic Table of Death and Mystery

Carol Potenza's monthly podcast, hosted by Laura Haas