Immigrants vs. chemistry
4:11pm, 18th December 2004
The BBC talk about migrant workers busting into America across the southern border:
Every year about 600 migrants die, mainly from thirst. In the summer, the temperatures in Arizona soar to well beyond boiling point.
Given that the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 56.7 degrees celsius, in Death Valley, they are obviously not talking about the boiling point of water (which is 100 degrees for those of you whose chemistry schooling did not interfere with your education). So what is it that these Mexicans are carrying across the border that keeps boiling off and causing them to die of thirst? A quick check of my trusty data tables suggests Pentane, which boils at about 36 degrees.
So the lesson to be learned is: if you are trying to smuggle yourself into the USA across the desert, only drink heavy hydrocarbons. And to think they said the BBC was scientifically illiterate!
