Origins: In the 18th century, mercury salts were used to make felt for fancy hats. The process required copious amounts of the element, a substance then not understood to be as dangerous as we now ...

Since 1865, when “Alice in Wonderland” was published, readers have quoted and parsed his every utterance. He’s called simply the Hatter in “Alice” and Hatta in “Through the Looking-Glass,” but we know ...

Mercury is a heavy metal that’s found in the earth’s crust. It’s toxic to people, so even low levels of exposure can cause health problems. Prolonged exposure can lead to chronic mercury poisoning.

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland introduced readers to a world of whimsy and wonderful characters, but few characters from the book were as memorable as the Hatter. Known popularly as ...