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202 points

It is a fantastically useful material, except for all the mesothelioma.

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96 points

Seriously, except for the horrific issues with the stuff, it would be an essential material for various applications.

Its resistance to fire, heat transfer, etc would do wonders for insulation and construction.

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36 points

Makes me wonder if it could be treated in some way to make it not-so-inhalable. Though maybe we have better synthetic alternatives by now.

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53 points

As I’ve understood it, the problem is primarily for the people having to manufacture products using it, and at rest it’s supposed to be inert.

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46 points

Doesn’t burn, really hard to wear out, you can just dig it out of the ground, easy to shape and repair.

Except it kills people, and it hurts the whole time they’re dying.

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12 points

Mother Gaia does a little trolling

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6 points

This is how you know the universe hates us.

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13 points

The universe owes none of us anything. We stick our noses into everything and some things aren’t good for us

This one is only really bad because the asbestos companies kept it secret when they found their product killed those exposed to it.

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24 points

“If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation…”

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15 points
*

We are in Australia. The company that mined the stuff was found negligent as they kept selling it for decades after they knew it was deadly dangerous

I also hear that so many times thanks to one of the Brain Blaze (on YouTube) editors

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5 points

The same shit happened in Spain

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1 point

The company that founded Wittenoom?

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12 points

That and lead in paint and gasoline all worked amazingly.

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17 points

Lead in gasoline was a stop-gap solution. If I remember correctly , it was added because we didn’t have the technology at the time to refine gas sufficiently to get the octane levels necessary to prevent pre-ignition of fuel (which causes rod knock) at a reasonable cost. Tetraethyl lead effectively increased the octane level/resistance to pre-ignition. As a side benefit, the lead slightly lubricated the valves and valve seats so that they lasted for tens of thousands of miles, instead of needing to be reground every few thousand miles.

It was a stupid stop-gap though, esp. since the dangers of lead were well known by then.

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10 points

You’re mostly correct. It was an additive to raise the octane rating and did lubricate. However, it wasn’t a gas refinement issue that caused the need. An octane boosting additive has been needed ever since, right up to today. Now the octane booster used is ethanol, mostly.

Race cars and many airplanes still use lead. We’re still making people dumber. Just at a lesser scale.

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1 point

You’re getting something done to your engine every few thousand miles?

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2 points

As long as it doesn’t break down it’s awesome

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