Cummingtonite? I'll bring the erotic acid.

April 29, 2011 1:00 PM

From Draculin to Spermadine, Fucitol to Arsole, here is your guide to molecules with silly names. (via kottke)
posted by BuddhaInABucket (15 comments total)

Brought to you by Bernard Flapdoodle, President and Founder of The Funny Names Club of America.
posted by grubi at 1:05 PM on April 29, 2011

Previously (although I'm not saying this should be deleted).

This is a true Internet classic!
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:06 PM on April 29, 2011

There's nothing funny about Draculin. Unless you mean the molecule produced by Francis Ford Coppola. That one was hilarious.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:10 PM on April 29, 2011

The previous thread has a link to www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/MOTM/silly/sillymols.htm that gets redirected to www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/sillymols.htm, so it is a double, sorry.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:13 PM on April 29, 2011

There's nothing funny about Draculin.

When I make my list of funny-named molecules, I don't count Draculin.
posted by grubi at 1:20 PM on April 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

"Believe it or not, some chemists do have a sense of humour"

Lies.
posted by Cheminatrix at 1:23 PM on April 29, 2011

dipost.
posted by benzenedream at 1:24 PM on April 29, 2011

My favorite: Cummingtonite
posted by gurple at 1:55 PM on April 29, 2011

My favorite: Cummingtonite
... Er, um, like in the post title.
posted by gurple at 1:56 PM on April 29, 2011

Wow, 1998 web design at it's finest.
posted by pjern at 1:58 PM on April 29, 2011

Gossypol "was used as a male contraceptive in China, but was never used in the West (and may have since been banned in China as well), since its effects were permanent in about 20% of patients!"

I would think some men would prefer it to a vasectomy, though. I wonder if there is any way to tell *which* 20% will be affected in this way?
posted by misha at 1:59 PM on April 29, 2011

You could ask their kid.
posted by ryanrs at 2:34 PM on April 29, 2011

they forgot to bring home Thebacon.
posted by phredgreen at 3:05 PM on April 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ah, Cummingtonite. I wonder what its hardness is?

How about its cleavage?

Does it leave a white streak?
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:25 PM on April 29, 2011

Ok, I am so linking to this thread the next time we have a "What should I name my pet?" question.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:38 AM on April 30, 2011