[Grammy]

Mercury is used by mechanics to (I think, I am not a mechanic) regulate the pressure of (?)pistons. Something like that. I know my son had a bottle of it several years ago when he was working on rebuilding a motorcycle.

I remember playing with it as a child when a thermometer broke. I'm still here and don't seem to be scarred by it. I think the greenies have made it a bigger deal than is really necessary.

[JustPiper]

I bit on a the-mom-meter when I was a kid, my mother went ballistic, mercury was a dirty word in the 60's and sometimes I wonder if it made me the way I am ;) Thanks for the post and welcome to TM!

[flutters]

Grammy, a few months ago a high school kid dropped and broke a thermometer in the classroom. They quarantined the entire school for about five hours while the hazmat crew came in and cleaned it up. They were scared the kids would track the mercury through the school. It made for some lively discussion on the talk radio station.

[Revel]

Many Home heating theromstats use mecury as part of a Switch. Mecury is conductive. and it rolls like ball but is liquid. More dense than water though.