A small difference, indeed

This post got me thinking about differences. What's the difference, say, between carbolic acid and carbonic acid? At first glance, it's a curve, isn't it? The l got tired and drooped into an n. But dig a little deeper and what do we see?

Carbolic acid is known as Phenol- the active ingredient in Lysol. So nasty, they finally stopped using it. Phenol is incompatible with life. Destroys on contact. A bastardized benzene, 'tis true. I may not know much (ok, I do, but not much important stuff) but Benzene in NOT YOUR FRIEND. There was a large spill in some river in China a while back, remember that? Shit, there'd still be fall out in the States if that had happened here. Think Union Carbide and Bhopal- but this time, they'd actually have to clean up their mess. Phenol was used on female genitalia to prevent masturbation, it was used in concentration camps, it's also the main ingredient in Chloroseptic. People spray that shit in their mouths!!!! Hell, it's even used in cosmetic surgery.

Carbonic acid, conversely, is the stuff in tea that gives it a bit of tartness. It's the acid in Acid Rain, our bodies use it to remove carbon dioxide. It wears away statues, makes the soil a little more productive in some parts of the world, takes a little of the sparkle off your shiny new car, but not a real threat.

One letter, what a difference.