DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE
A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High School won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair by urging people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” The reasons are: 1. It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting. 2. It is a major component in acid rain. 3. It can cause severe burns in it gaseous state. 4. Accidental inhalation can kill you. 5. It contributes to erosion. 6. It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes. 7. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients. Now, before you read on, guess what dihydrogen monoxide is? Give up? The student was trying to show how conditioned we are to accepting alarmist positions about science. The name of the paper was, “How Gullible Are We?” He asked 50 people if they supported a ban and forty- three said yes, six were undecided and only one knew that the chemical is: water. H(hydrogen) 2(di) O(monoxide).
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