California Officials Stumped By Dihydrogen Monoxide Threat

[hatrack]

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - City officials were so concerned about the potentially dangerous properties of dihydrogen monoxide that they considered banning foam cups after they learned the chemical was used in their production.

Then they learned, to their chagrin, that dihydrogen monoxide - H2O for short - is the scientific term for water. "It's embarrassing," said City Manager David J. Norman. "We had a paralegal who did bad research."

The paralegal apparently fell victim to one of the many official looking Web sites that have been put up by pranksters to describe dihydrogen monoxide as "an odorless, tasteless chemical" that can be deadly if accidentally inhaled.

As a result, the City Council of this Orange County suburb had been scheduled to vote next week on a proposed law that would have banned the use of foam containers at city-sponsored events. Among the reasons given for the ban were that they were made with a substance that could "threaten human health and safety."

EDIT

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/nation/8190894.htm

[zbdent]

1. Isn't OC rather "conservative"?

I'm probably wrong . . .

[Festivito]

3. R A T H E R conservative.

A bunch of people paid too much to think for themselves.

[NNadir]

2. This thing's been around for years.

I'm surprised that folks still fall for it.

[treepig]

4. dangerous stuff

check it out for yourself at http://www.dhmo.org

[Nihil]

5. The really sad thing about this ...

... is that people are so dumb that they fall for an obvious trick like this.

This isn't a dig at Californians or even Americans - there are equally
dumb people employed by UK authorities (and probably just about every
other country too) - but it is a very sad reflection on the level of
education in this supposedly "advanced civilisation" where we live.

It does, however, go some way to explaining why there is such a lack of
relevant questions: most people simply don't know enough to realise that
they are being lied to and the ones that do are drowned out by the well-
funded marketing departments on the other side.

Any dissenters are quickly tarred with the "nut-case" brush, slandered,
libelled and discredited. Borderline questioners learn from the example
and keep quiet. The mass of trusting (though stupid) viewers just carry
on doing what they've been told: consume, pay, lose.

Nihil

[hatrack]

7. 25% of adult Americans don't know the Earth orbits the Sun 1x per year

At least, that was the result of a mid-1990s survey.

And if that's still a valid picture of basic science literacy in America, we shouldn't be surprised by shrieks of horror at the thought of H2O.

[Atlant]

6. I understand that Hydrogen Hydroxide can be used as a substitute...

I understand that Hydrogen Hydroxide can be used as a substitute for the
sometimes-deadly Dihydrogen Monoxide. And in a pinch, you can sometimes
get away with using Oxygen Dihydride.

Atlant

[NNadir]

8. In some industries people actually use monodeuteromonoprotium oxygen-16.

It scares me even to think of it. Oxygen 16 is an isotope.

[treepig]

9. i can hardly wait for the glorious day

when isotopes will finally be banned once and for all time.

[NNadir]

10. Especially nuclear isotopes. n/t

[Atlant]

11. Maybe we should just start with the isomers? ...or even monomers? (NT)

[sandlapper]

12. Not only is Oxygen 16 an isotope ...

so are oxygen 15, oxygen 17 and oxygen 18! Oxygen 16 is of course the most stable and common isotope of this essential element for life.

[NNadir]

13. Yes, but all of them have neutrons in them and should be banned.

Neutrons can kill people.