What would you say,
if you read on the respectable website, or even in the email received from a
friend, the following warning? It sounds pretty convincing and dangerous,
especially you are mesmerized by the scientific terms, and you studied
chemistry years ago.
Every year thousands of people die from exposure to
Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO). Widely unreported by the media and virtually
ignored by government agencies, this silent toxin remains unknown to the
majority of people at risk.
The presence of DHMO has been found in schools,
businesses and even homes, and traces of it exist in toxic chemicals like
Sulfuric Acid and Ethyl Alcohol. Many estimates show that every home in America
- if not every home in the world - contains a DHMO source, intensifying the
danger of this compound.
In addition to the dangers posed to living creatures,
DHMO has caused billions of dollars worth of property and environmental damage.
The chemical compound has been known to wipe out entire cities at
record-breaking speed.
Steven Spangler Science Website even provides a
video presentation of the substance’ disastrous effects:
Yes, for those who is still inquiring what is the
point, I can confirm that DHMO is a simple water, and if you replace the SHMO
with water in the statement above, you will find out, that there is no word of
lie. The truth is – the water is dangerous for your life. But for some reason,
the name water does not sound so threatening as scientific term Dihydrogen
Monoxide (DHMO). This is probably just one of the magical sides of scientific terminology.
History
of Hoax
Not long ago, but
really long ago for the life of Internet, in 1990, the Internet was mostly a
collection of simplistic message boards and basic websites, and one of the most
popular was Usenet. Three students of the University of California in Santa
Cruz, Eric Lechner, Lars Norpchen and Matthew Kaufman
distributed
the public warning on extreme danger of DHMO on a Usenet message board. Since then, the hoax began its
circulation on the Web and through multiple emails.
In 1994, another
University of California student at Santa Cruz, Craig Jackson, revised the
original edition and placed his version of the warning statement on his
website, The Coalition to Ban DHMO. The site included the following warning:
Dihydrogen monoxide:
- Is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major
component of acid rain.
- Contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
- May cause severe burns.
- Is fatal if inhaled.
- Contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
- Accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
- May cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of
automobile brakes.
- Has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
- As an industrial solvent and coolant.
- In nuclear power plants.
- In the production of Styrofoam.
- As a fire retardant.
- In many forms of cruel animal research.
- In the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains
contaminated by this chemical.
- As an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food
products.
In 1997, 14 year
old science student, Nathan Zohner at Eagle Rock Junior High School in Idaho
Falls wins a science project by gathering petitions calling for the banning of
DHMO. He had told a group of 50 Year 9 students about the dangers of DHMO, some
of them being that it causes the erosion of our landscape and increases the
rate of corrosion. This is factually correct about DHMO, none of these are
false and 43 Year 9 students were in favor of banning DHMO, 6 were undecided
and only one student identified DHMO as water. By the way, Nathan Zohner’s
science project was titled, How Gullible Are We?
As with any successful invention, the joke has had
multiple developments over the years. For example, Improbable Research
editorial board member Eric Schulman wrote in 2010 the Material Safety Data
Sheet for the much-discussed substance dihydrogen monoxide.
—————————————————
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET FOR DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE
—————————————————
PRODUCT NAME: DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE
FORMULA WT: 18.00
CAS NO.: 07732-18-5
NIOSH/RTECS NO.: ZC0110000
COMMON SYNONYMS: DIHYDROGEN OXIDE, HYDRIC ACID
PRODUCT CODES: 4218, 4219
EFFECTIVE: 05/30/86
REVISION #01
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET FOR DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE
—————————————————
PRODUCT NAME: DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE
FORMULA WT: 18.00
CAS NO.: 07732-18-5
NIOSH/RTECS NO.: ZC0110000
COMMON SYNONYMS: DIHYDROGEN OXIDE, HYDRIC ACID
PRODUCT CODES: 4218, 4219
EFFECTIVE: 05/30/86
REVISION #01
LABORATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
SAFETY GLASSES; LAB COAT
PRECAUTIONARY LABEL STATEMENTS
STORAGE: KEEP IN TIGHTLY CLOSED CONTAINER.
BOILING POINT: 100 C (212 F)
VAPOR PRESSURE(MM HG): 17.5
MELTING POINT: 0 C ( 32 F)
VAPOR DENSITY(AIR=1): N/A
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 1.00
EVAPORATION RATE: N/A
SOLUBILITY(H2O): COMPLETE (IN ALL PROPORTIONS) % VOLATILES BY VOLUME: 100
APPEARANCE & ODOR: ODORLESS, CLEAR COLORLESS LIQUID.
TOXICITY: LD50 (IPR-MOUSE)(G/KG) – 190
LD50 (IV-MOUSE) (MG/KG) – 25
DISPOSAL PROCEDURE
DISPOSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE,
AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
SAF-T-DATA(TM) STORAGE COLOR CODE: ORANGE (GENERAL STORAGE)
SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS
KEEP CONTAINER TIGHTLY CLOSED. SUITABLE FOR ANY GENERAL CHEMICAL STORAGE
AREA. DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE IS CONSIDERED A NON-REGULATED PRODUCT, BUT
REACTS VIGOROUSLY WITH SOME MATERIALS. THESE INCLUDE SODIUM, POTASSIUM
AND OTHER ALKALI METALS; ELEMENTAL FLUORINE; AND STRONG DEHYDRATING AGENTS
SUCH AS SULFURIC ACID. IT FORMS EXPLOSIVE GASES WITH CALCIUM CARBIDE.
AVOID CONTACT WITH ALL MATERIALS UNTIL INVESTIGATION SHOWS SUBSTANCE IS
COMPATIBLE. EXPANDS SIGNIFICANTLY UPON FREEZING. DO NOT STORE IN RIGID
CONTAINER AND PROTECT FROM FREEZING.
DOMESTIC (D.O.T.)
PROPER SHIPPING NAME CHEMICALS, N.O.S. (NON-REGULATED)
INTERNATIONAL (I.M.O.)
PROPER SHIPPING NAME CHEMICALS, N.O.S. (NON-REGULATED
—————————————————
Reaction
of Officials
City Council of
this Orange County suburb, Aliso Viejo, in California, was so
concerned on the potentially
dangerous properties of dihydrogen monoxide that they considered banning foam
cups after they learned the chemical was used in their production in 2004. Among
the reasons given for the ban were that they were made with a substance that
could "threaten human health and safety." At the last moment, public
officials
called off the vote after learning that dihydrogen monoxide is the scientific
term for water.
.
For some reason,
the hoax became especially popular and successful in New Zealand. In 2001 a
staffer in New Zealand Green Party MP Sue Kedgley's office responded to a
request for support for a campaign to ban dihydrogen monoxide by saying she was
"absolutely supportive of the campaign to ban this toxic substance". Six
years later, in 2007, Jacqui Dean, New Zealand National Party MP, fell for the
hoax, writing a letter to Associate Minister of Health Jim Anderton asking
"Does the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs have a view on the banning of
this drug?"
In multiple other occasions, different public
officials used this hoax for entertaining purposes. But since they were realizing
that is a joke, we will not list these encounters.
Sources
and Addition Information:
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