Fluorine, Mt. Vesuvius, and the Periodic Table of Death and Mystery

In 79 A.D., a catastrophic volcanic eruption rained death down on the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Superheated gaseous clouds measuring 700°C (1300°F) swept down the sides of Mt. Vesuvius, destroying everything in their paths, including every living creature inhabiting the surrounding countryside. But this podcast is not directly about the infamous eruption. It’s about the bones and teeth of its victims. Mt. Vesuvius charged the drinking water with fluorine, making their teeth perfect and their bones strong—before the volcano killed them all. Music for the Periodic Table of Death was created by Gioele Fazzeri and published under Creative Commons License. References for this episode can be found at the following website: ⁠https://carolpotenza.com/hydrogen-and-the-periodic-table-of-death/⁠ More from Carol Potenza and to sign up for her monthly newsletter, please visit her at ⁠https://carolpotenza.com/⁠