Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
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Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#2>“This man created some of the most beautiful music humanity was able to produce,” Rifai adds. “It was so incredibly tragic that he couldn’t hear this majestic music that he created.”
I wonder if his deafness helped him create that music.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#3All great artists are a little bit crazy. Heavy metal poisoning is a clever shortcut.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#4>> One had 380 micrograms of lead per gram of hair, while the other had 258 micrograms. For reference, a normal level of lead in a gram of hair is around 4 micrograms or less. His hair also had 13 times the normal level of arsenic, and four times the normal level of mercury.
What is "normal"? Normal for now, or normal for the 17th century? Looking at the hair and makeup regimes of the wealthy, they were all probably soaked in poisons. Arsenic seems more common than garlic, lead used more liberally than salt. If we apply modern standards for poisons, nobody should have survived those times.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#5>“This man created some of the most beautiful music humanity was able to produce,” Rifai adds. “It was so incredibly tragic that he couldn’t hear this majestic music that he created.” I wonder if his deafness helped him create that music.
I'm sure that he heard his majestic music in his head as he was composing it.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#6>“This man created some of the most beautiful music humanity was able to produce,” Rifai adds. “It was so incredibly tragic that he couldn’t hear this majestic music that he created.” I wonder if his deafness helped him create that music.
I'm sure that he heard his majestic music in his head as he was composing it.
He still felt it
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#7Just curious how do modern humans compare.
I think most people have this notion that sewage treatment removes everything.
I know the local creek that the local water treatment plant empties out into, and the creek smells like sewage. The water intake is maybe km away down river. Aside from obvious chemicals like paint that people might flush. All kinds of medical/drug chemicals they're on are also peed out as well. And those can be active in tiny amounts.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#8>“This man created some of the most beautiful music humanity was able to produce,” Rifai adds. “It was so incredibly tragic that he couldn’t hear this majestic music that he created.” I wonder if his deafness helped him create that music.
"I wonder if his deafness helped him create that music. "
Since he already composed great music before he became deaf, I think no.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#9>“This man created some of the most beautiful music humanity was able to produce,” Rifai adds. “It was so incredibly tragic that he couldn’t hear this majestic music that he created.” I wonder if his deafness helped him create that music.
I'm sure that he heard his majestic music in his head as he was composing it.
Me too, but that's a fundamentally different experience. I think the question stands, and I'm interested in the answer.
Re: Researchers find high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in Beethoven's hair
#10Just curious how do modern humans compare. I think most people have this notion that sewage treatment removes everything. I know the local creek that the local water treatment plant empties out into, and the creek smells like sewage. The water intake is maybe km away down river. Aside from obvious chemicals like paint that people might flush. All kinds of medical/drug chemicals they're on are also peed out as well. A…
> Researchers tested two authenticated locks of Beethoven’s hair. One had 380 micrograms of lead per gram of hair, while the other had 258 micrograms. For reference, a normal level of lead in a gram of hair is around 4 micrograms or less. His hair also had 13 times the normal level of arsenic, and four times the normal level of mercury.