You know what would be an absolutely terrifying mechanism of action for a poison?

Catalyzing protein misfolding - specifically, causing the formation of prions and thereby inducing a prion disease in those exposed.

Presumably such a poison would be lethal at extremely low doses... although it would take months, perhaps even a year or two, to manifest its fatal effects.

Meanwhile prions are, in a manner of speaking, infectious - and almost impossible to destroy/decontaminate.

@IrelandTorin

This post is even more excellent if you imagine someone speaking these observations aloud during a long elevator ride among strangers. :)

(I mean, one has to spread the word somehow, right?)

@MLClark LOL, I wouldn't do that unless I were purposefully trying to alarm or intimidate.

Although, fair point, I should probably not give voice to any of the horrid potentialities that bubble up from the depths of my mind... that just increases the risk of those ideas spreading until they reach people both capable of and inclined toward materializing them. Which would be bad.

@IrelandTorin

Nah, no chiding from me about "horrid potentialities". :) I used to have the nickname "Morose Maggie" because I'd always have anecdotes about the grim state of the world, and stats to match, to kill an upbeat vibe at any get-together.

(Never meant to! But it's hard to remember that most people don't like knowing about such things. When you're used to a more pragmatic existentialism, it can be tough to move in a world where folks prefer fairy tales.)

Did you ever see Utopia?