--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Probably if half a kilogram [of radium]…" description: "\"Probably if half a kilogram [of radium] were in a bottle on that table it would kill us all. It would almost certainly destroy our sight and burn our s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/william-crookes-34055_arms_probably-if-half-a-kilogram-of-radium-we_1915688.jpg" --- # Probably if half a kilogram \[of radium\] were in a bottle… ![“Probably if half a kilogram [of radium] were in a bottle on that table it would kill us all. It would almost certainly destroy our sight and burn our skins to such an extent that we could not survive. The smallest bit placed on one's arm would produce a blister which it would need months to heal.” quote by William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/william-crookes-34055_arms_probably-if-half-a-kilogram-of-radium-we_1915688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/william-crookes-34055_arms_probably-if-half-a-kilogram-of-radium-we_1915688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/william-crookes-34055_arms_probably-if-half-a-kilogram-of-radium-we_1915688.jpg) > “Probably if half a kilogram \[of radium\] were in a bottle on that table it would kill us all. It would almost certainly destroy our sight and burn our skins to such an extent that we could not survive. The smallest bit placed on one's arm would produce a blister which it would need months to heal.” [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Radium is extremely hazardous; even a tiny amount can cause severe burns and death. **In simple terms:** Radium is deadly even in small amounts. Key Takeaway Handle radioactive materials with extreme caution. Themes danger radioactivity health science Mood cautious serious Type warning educational When to use this quote - medical labs - industrial handling - museum displays - educational demos Key Concepts radiation poisoning material safety Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance scientific progress with safety? - What alternatives exist to dangerous substances? A Different Perspective Safety protocols may be costly and limit research. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Radium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radium/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“Past and future veil God from our sight; burn up both of them with fire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/past-and-future-veil-god-from-our-sight-burn-up-both-of-them-with-fire/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [The first experiments on the biological properties of radium were successfully made in France, with samples from our laboratory, while my husband was living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/the-first-experiments-on-the-biological-properties-of-radium-were/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [“It can even be thought that radium could become very dangerous in criminal hands, and here the question can be raised whether mankind benefits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-curie/it-can-even-be-thought-that-radium-could-become-very-dangerous-in/) [Pierre Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-curie/) > [Sometimes I had to spend a whole day mixing a boiling mass with a heavy iron rod nearly as large as myself. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/sometimes-i-had-to-spend-a-whole-day-mixing-a-boiling-mass-with-a/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [“The cynical would say there was only one reason a high-profile specialist finally took up the cause. On June 7, 1925, the first male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moore/the-cynical-would-say-there-was-only-one-reason-a-high-profile/) [Kate Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moore/) > [I am afraid of radium and polonium ... I don't want to monkey with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-am-afraid-of-radium-and-polonium-i-don-t-want-to-monkey-with-them/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [“THE RADIUM WATER WORKED FINE UNTILE HIS JAW CAME OFF.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mahaffey/the-radium-water-worked-fine-untile-his-jaw-came-off/) [James Mahaffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mahaffey/) > [We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/we-must-not-forget-that-when-radium-was-discovered-no-one-knew-that-2/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [Prayer, like radium, is a luminous and self-generating form of energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-carrel/prayer-like-radium-is-a-luminous-and-self-generating-form-of-energy/) [Alexis Carrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-carrel/) > [Pierre Curie voluntarily exposed his arm to the action of radium for several hours. This resulted in damage resembling a burn that developed progressively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/pierre-curie-voluntarily-exposed-his-arm-to-the-action-of-radium-for/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [RADIUM, n. A mineral that gives off heat and stimulates the organ that a scientist is a fool with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/radium-n-a-mineral-that-gives-off-heat-and-stimulates-the-organ-that/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Doctors' investment in radium...the price of radium increased 1,000% when they began to use it on cancer victims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erland-josephson/doctors-investment-in-radium-the-price-of-radium-increased-1-000-when/) [Erland Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erland-josephson/) > [We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/we-must-not-forget-that-when-radium-was-discovered-no-one-knew-that/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [“Yet the flip side of the coin was all the positive literature about radium. As early as 1914, specialists knew that radium could deposit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moore/yet-the-flip-side-of-the-coin-was-all-the-positive-literature-about/) [Kate Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moore/) > [The various reasons we have just enumerated lead us to believe that the new radioactive substance contains a new element to which we propose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/the-various-reasons-we-have-just-enumerated-lead-us-to-believe-that/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) ## More by William Crookes > [England and all civilised nations stand in deadly peril of not having enough to eat. As mouths multiply, food resources dwindle. Land is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/england-and-all-civilised-nations-stand-in-deadly-peril-of-not-having/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [Most students of nature sooner or later pass through a process of writing off a large percentage of their supposed capital of knowledge as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/most-students-of-nature-sooner-or-later-pass-through-a-process-of/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [The rare earth elements perplex us in our researches, baffle us in our speculations, and haunt us in our very dreams. They stretch like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/the-rare-earth-elements-perplex-us-in-our-researches-baffle-us-in-our/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [The phenomena in these exhausted tubes reveal to physical science a new world-a world where matter may exist in a fourth state, where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/the-phenomena-in-these-exhausted-tubes-reveal-to-physical-science-a/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [Our alleged facts might be true in all kinds of ways without contradicting any truth already known. I will dwell now on only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/our-alleged-facts-might-be-true-in-all-kinds-of-ways-without/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [Chemists do not usually stutter. It would be very awkward if they did, seeing that they have at times to get out such words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/chemists-do-not-usually-stutter-it-would-be-very-awkward-if-they-did/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [“If you had come to me a hundred years ago, do you think I should have dreamed of the telephone? Why, even now I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/if-you-had-come-to-me-a-hundred-years-ago-do-you-think-i-should-have/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [If you had come to me a hundred years ago, do you think I should have dreamed of the telephone? Why, even now I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/if-you-had-come-to-me-a-hundred-years-ago-do-you-think-i-should-have-2/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [Which was first, Matter or Force? If we think on this question, we shall find that we are unable to conceive of matter without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/which-was-first-matter-or-force-if-we-think-on-this-question-we-shall/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [...Nature-the word that stands for the baffling mysteries of the Universe. Steadily, unflinchingly, we strive to pierce the inmost heart of Nature, from what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/nature-the-word-that-stands-for-the-baffling-mysteries-of-the/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [It can scarcely be denied that the fundamental phenomena which first led mankind into chemical inquiries are those of combustion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/it-can-scarcely-be-denied-that-the-fundamental-phenomena-which-first/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [Probably our atomic weights merely represent a mean value around which the actual atomic weights of the atoms vary within certain narrow limits... when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/probably-our-atomic-weights-merely-represent-a-mean-value-around/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [To stop short in any research that bids fair to widen the gates of knowledge, to recoil from fear of difficulty or adverse criticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/to-stop-short-in-any-research-that-bids-fair-to-widen-the-gates-of/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) [Explore all 14 William Crookes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by faith when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/how-shall-freedom-be-defended-by-arms-when-it-is-attacked-by-arms-by/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Probably if half a kilogram [of radium] were in a bottle on that table it would kill us all. It would almost certainly destroy our sight and burn our skins to such an extent that we could not survive. 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