Stev Harris writes: << [Death by deuterium] might make a good cerebral mystery for a student text: a person with full control of an elderly relative deuterates them to death over a couple of weeks to a month (which would take about 50 kg of heavy water at $300 a kg, but nevermind). Forensics thinks the person died of some strange disease or poison, but can't identify one (since they don't routinely do any tests to identify D!). The detective only recognizes something's amiss when the bad guy offers him ice in his lemonade, and has forgotten to dump the ice in the icebox, which is made from heavy water. Detective notices the ice SINKS in his glass. Hmmmm.

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I think this might make a good mystery, period! I love the punch line. (But after years of watching Law & Order, it seems clear that homicide detectives (at least in NYC) have a rule never to accept refreshments offered them when interviewing a witnesses at their homes.) Still, there must be some way around this. --Dan