I have a bear skull that was cleaned with beetles. Definitely the way to go!
Ask Ursa!
(304 posts) (31 voices)-
I thought HF or H2SO4 was the way to go?
Posted 1 year ago # -
UrsaMinor
MemberBoth of those will do, but the original question was about commonly available chemicals. I think you can probably buy dilute sulfuric acid, but hydrofluoric acid is way too corrosive and dangerous to be sold for household use. That stuff dissolves glass and eats metal for dessert, and it weakens many plastics to the point where they become brittle and shatter. We used to keep it in either teflon or wax-lined bottles in the lab. It also has to be stored in a vented fume hood; the vapors will pickle your eyeballs.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Elemenope
ModeratorAnd it should be noted that most of the damage that HF does is not from the free proton, but from that pesky fluorine ion doing its nasty business. IIRC the fluorine is so greedy that it doesn't fully dissociate in solution, technically making HF a "weak" acid.
When it comes to disposing of bodies thoroughly, a simple lower tech solution that doesn't involve playing with nasty chemicals is a simple tire fire. Tire rubber burns hot enough to decompose calcium phosphate under the right (easily achievable) conditions.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Elemenope
ModeratorThat's why it's a good idea to have a fire pit that you use fairly regularly. A good idea, that is, if you envision needing to dispose of a body at some point down the line.
Alternatively you could exsanguinate and dismember the body and transport it to a more convenient rural disposal location. Messy and unpleasant but not particularly difficult.
The problem with bathtub chemistry is they don't make bathtubs like they used to.
Posted 1 year ago # -
The most ecologically friendly solution, time permitting, is to compost the corpse.
There is actually a company in Sweden called Promessa that does this.
"Promessa Organic AB develops and offers a new alternative for the disposal of deceased persons. An environmentally friendly form of burial based on the biological retrospect a deceased body is subject."
I would forego the liquid nitrogen though, and just chop it into small pieces. Ground-up is better. This method may take longer to "disappear" the evidence, but produces more nutritional compost and results in a larger yield. Plus liquid nitrogen is expensive and may be hard to locate.
Here and here are two more articles on it.
Quality compost has no bad smell whatsoever. If it stinks, then it's not fully composted. I should know. I sell it for a living! Really. No shit- Figuratively, not literally. We get fresh squeezed hen manure by the truck loads. Thankfully I work in the office!
Environmentally safe and great for the vegetable garden, too.
"Hey Bubba Joe, how come this 'sparagus tastes like feet?"
Posted 1 year ago # -
UrsaMinor
MemberPlus liquid nitrogen is expensive and may be hard to locate.
Actually, liquid nitrogen costs less than a dollar a gallon, unless you're buying really small quantities. Then it might run you as much as a dollar a liter. It's way cheaper than milk, and slightly less expensive than bottled water. There are suppliers in just about every city.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Dear Ursa,
Is it true cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
Signed,
Just had to askPosted 1 year ago # -
For those who speak dutch, this is hilarious. Some of you who don't know dutch well might even enjoy this.
This one is good too.Posted 1 year ago # -
@Ursa-
Thanks for clarifying that for me. And thanks for correcting me on the cost of LN₂. It seems the cost of containment and dispensing equipment is where they get you.
@dutchobbit-
And yet another viable alternative.
P.S. Link 2 failed.Posted 1 year ago # -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVi0qkglfrc
Hope it works like this.Posted 1 year ago # -
And Crusty-Zombie.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Noelle
MemberDear Ursa,
Help! I'm trapped at a medical conference and I can't pay attention to anything for over 10-15 minutes. I think it's a combo of untreated inattentive ADHD and my profession which requires I think about something completely different every 15 minutes. What do I do to keep from going nuts? So far my strategy is to drink a lot of free coffee which leads to many bathroom breaks. It's also in a cool theatre, so I'm daydreaming about going on the stage to tap dance and sing. I can't dance, so this is obviously fantastical thinking.
On your previous advice to my last question: semi-colons? Are you mad? I have no business messing with semi-colons. That's for professionals.
Signed,
So bored.Posted 12 months ago # -
UrsaMinor
MemberDear Bored,
What do you do to keep from going nuts? My dear, instead of trying to stave off the inevitable, it is best to embrace your insanity. Being crazy can be a lot of fun. And ADHD is not the worst thing in the world, either. It's certainly better than having OPD (Obnoxious Personality Disorder for our non-medical readers). At least you can still have friends.
The coffee and the bathroom breaks are an excellent coping strategy, and they allow you to check out the exotic porcelain fixtures that you might otherwise have missed on this trip. Go ahead and tap dance in public if the urge moves you; it gets the blood circulating and is an excellent step towards accepting your inner lunatic.
On your previous advice to my last question: semi-colons? Are you mad? I have no business messing with semi-colons. That's for professionals.
You have demonstrated your command of the comma previously, and today your mastery of the colon (but I would expect nothing less of an MD). You are clearly ready to take the next step and explore the territory between them occupied by the semicolon (or is that where the gall bladder is? I can never remember). Go on. You know you want to.
Am I mad? The leather-clad biker teddy bear in my bedroom keeps asking me the same question whenever I attempt to remove its chaps to dust it. I think it's just embarrassed because it's not anatomically correct. But to answer your question, 42.
- Ursa
Posted 12 months ago # -
Noelle
MemberHey thanks. I went with the compromise of displaying some non-professional, but not disruptive, behavior to keep myself in check. I sat with my knees bent up to my chest, wrapped my arms around them, and rested my chin on my knees. I got some looks, but it kept my fidgeting down to a minimum. Closing my eyes helped too. I might've actually accidentally learned a few things even. Like hollow-bore needles are better than piercing guns.
Did the person who invented those fold-out couch hide-a-bed things ever actually sleep in one? What's with the bar of pain in the middle?
--
ouchPosted 12 months ago # -
kessy_athena
MemberNoelle, if you really want to avoid going nuts, I would suggest going armed with plenty of peanuts. As peanuts are legumes, they aren't really nuts, but are sufficiently nut like to take the place of the real deal and monopolize all the nut receptors in your brain. Of course, there is always the potential for side effects, such as sudden irresistible cravings for jelly.
Posted 12 months ago # -
Dear Ursa--
What does it mean when a person insults another person by calling him or her "educated beyond his/her intelligence"? I've seen this expression a few times now, and it seems to be used most often by people who are neither educated nor intelligent.
Signed,
Confused
Posted 11 months ago #
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