On Fri, 15 Sep 2000 11:31:11 -0400, Lee Bell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>> Speaking of "rot through", I've always wondered what container would
>> work for a "universal solvent".
>
>Somewhere, sometime, in some context, I remember reading that water is the
>universal solvent, that eventually, everything will be disolved by water.
>While this sounded odd at the time and still does, if it's true, then there
>are lots of containers that will work . . . for a while.

Excellent response!

You remembered correctly THIS time.  :-)  Water has been termed the
"universal solvent" though chemically it is not true.

One of the reasons I threw out that bait was for the "time of exposure"
factor regarding ALL SOLVENTS, which you correctly and appropriately
identified.

It's a matter of HOW LONG ... which takes it back to the SCUBA TOPIC
that many discussants overlook, "time of exposure", when discussing
the dangers of diving (air or nitrox) to  PPO2 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, etc.

The INFO of time of exposure is CONVENIENTLY suppressed in PADI
and other scuba manuals.   Unfortunately, the net effect is that
SOME divers get the WRONG impression that you would be dead if you
dive below 131 fsw, or certain ppO2 or its equivalent.  You WOULD
BE,  if you stay there LONG ENOUGH.  But how long?   :-)

NOW ask the same question about ... 218 fsw, say.   Some may be
surprised that you don't die as easily as you might think at that
depth.    :-)   It depends on ... the TIME OF EXPOSURE.

-- Bob.

P.S.  Me gone fission (not fishin').  ?  :-)