this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2026
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I'm glad someone listened to me a couple years back. The first comment I ever made on Lemmy was on the original version of this, pointing out that Magnesium was DEFINITELY fine to lick.
If it's got a nice oxide layer on the outside, fine. Otherwise it's fairly reactive.
The oxide layer forms within seconds, like aluminium and sodium (the two elements surrounding it), and even if you scraped it off and stuck it on your tongue, it isn't going to react quickly enough to do you any damage. It will probably taste slightly bitter, like licking baking soda. I have some downstairs. Shall I test it and take a video of the results?