Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 22:08:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Enjoy bismuth while you still can
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

It has long been thought that bismuth was the last stable element.
It isn't.  Lead is.  It's recently been shown that the one "stable"
isotope of bismuth has a half-life of 19 billion billion years, a new
record.  (It decays by emitting 3 keV alpha rays.)  So enjoy bismuth
while you still can.

Fortunately it's not an essential nutrient.

One of its uses is in fire sprinklers.  Evidently, any sufficiently
long convention *will* get flooded.  But don't let this give you too
much stress -- another major use of bismuth is treating ulcers.

See http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/4/16
--
Keith F. Lynch - kfl at keithlynch.net - http://keithlynch.net/
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