Mercury bulb thermostats have been ‘mandatory equipment’ for decades. Chances are, however, you’ll never miss them now.
When I was a kid, mercury was a cool thing to play with. Can you imagine! Now mind you, this was the 1960s, when folks thought spraying DDT promoted life and seatbelts were a Communist plot. So in context, it’s not crazy that among my toys was my own little jar of mercury.