Mercury is poisonous and cannot be used for anti-gravitational technology

Context

Claims have been made on TikTok and Facebook that mercury is not poisonous, can generate electricity to provide free energy, and has been used to power anti-gravity technology aircraft, first invented 7000 years ago in India – the "Vimanas." According to the claims, the unique properties of mercury have been hidden from the public, and the substance is only poisonous because elites have fooled people as a means of control. The narrator claims these revelations of the properties of mercury would grant all people freedom and erase all borders. However, the claim is false. 

In Fact

Mercury is poisonous to humans when exposed for extended periods of time, particularly when found in fumes, dust and waters from effluent waste containing mercury. The claim focuses on elemental mercury, which is liquid at room temperature, and not methylmercury, which is commonly found in fish. Elemental mercury evaporates at room temperature into an invisible, odourless toxic vapour. Exposure to elemental mercury occurs through spillage and if the substance vaporizes. It is commonly found in thermometers, electrical switches and dental fillings. Mercury is dangerous when there is prolonged exposure, which can cause tremors, insomnia and headaches, among other symptoms. Exposure to high levels of mercury can affect the kidneys and cause respiratory failure and death. Mercury is a good electricity conductor, and research from Tohoku university, published in 2016, showed that a small amount of voltage can be generated from mercury through a process called "fluid spintronics." However, this would not reach anywhere near the level of energy generated suggested by the claimant.

The viral video argues that mercury can be used to create anti-gravity technology and refers to the book Vaimānika Shāstra, published between 1900-22, which features a flying palace called vimana. The video claims that the flying machines from the book are real and were invented thousands of years ago in India. Vimana were mentioned in Hindu and Sanskrit texts and were supposedly propelled by rotating gyroscopes of electricity and mercury. In 1974, the aeronautical and mechanical engineering department of the Indian Institute of Science debunked the book and wrote that the crafts would not be capable of flying and that the authenticity of the book was dubious at best. As such, there is no evidence of aircraft created in ancient India that ran on mercury. 

The Verdict

Mercury exposure can have a poisonous effect on the body and cannot be used for anti-gravity technology. We have therefore marked this claim as false.