(no subject)
Flora's obsession of the day has been arsenic. She read about it and colored a page about it in her Elements coloring book and she watched several youtube videos about it.
Her favorite fun fact is that in the Victorian era arsenic was commonly used in wallpaper because copper arsenite made the most popular shade of green. The problem was that because Victorian homes were closed up all the time the homes often got damp and sometimes mold grew on the wallpaper. People died from breathing in the arsenic gas the mold gave off. It is believed this is how Napoleon died. Also, people have died from burning candles colored green with copper arsenite, typically at Christmas time.
Another thing she learned was scientists have recently discovered that (a certain type of?) algae can grow without the presence of phosphorus, using arsenic instead. This is exciting because it has shattered the previously accepted scientific belief that all life must have phosphorus to survive and now there is a whole lot more possibilities when it comes to which places in the universe might support life.
She got very excited about all of this. OH, they even used to color puddings with copper arsenite to make them green. If she only takes away one useful fact from this maybe it should be to never, ever eat green pudding!
She asked if she could print off some pictures of Victorian wallpaper, color it green, and use it as wallpaper in her haunted dollhouse. I thought that was a terrific idea.
Her favorite fun fact is that in the Victorian era arsenic was commonly used in wallpaper because copper arsenite made the most popular shade of green. The problem was that because Victorian homes were closed up all the time the homes often got damp and sometimes mold grew on the wallpaper. People died from breathing in the arsenic gas the mold gave off. It is believed this is how Napoleon died. Also, people have died from burning candles colored green with copper arsenite, typically at Christmas time.
Another thing she learned was scientists have recently discovered that (a certain type of?) algae can grow without the presence of phosphorus, using arsenic instead. This is exciting because it has shattered the previously accepted scientific belief that all life must have phosphorus to survive and now there is a whole lot more possibilities when it comes to which places in the universe might support life.
She got very excited about all of this. OH, they even used to color puddings with copper arsenite to make them green. If she only takes away one useful fact from this maybe it should be to never, ever eat green pudding!
She asked if she could print off some pictures of Victorian wallpaper, color it green, and use it as wallpaper in her haunted dollhouse. I thought that was a terrific idea.