The
dihydrogen monoxide hoax involves the use of an unfamiliar name for water, then listing some negative effects of water, then asking individuals to help control the seemingly dangerous substance. The
hoaxA hoax is a deliberate attempt to deceive or trick an audience into believing, or accepting, that something is real, when the hoaxer knows it is not; or that something is true, when it is false...
is designed to illustrate how the lack of
scientificScience is in its broadest sense to any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome...
knowledge and an exaggerated analysis can lead to misplaced fears. "Dihydrogen monoxide", shortened to "DHMO", is a name for water that is consistent with chemical nomenclature, but that is almost never used.
A popular version of the hoax was created by Eric Lechner, Lars Norpchen and Matthew Kaufman, housemates while attending UC Santa Cruz in 1990, revised by Craig Jackson in 1994, and brought to widespread public attention in 1997 when Nathan Zohner, a 14-year-old student, gathered petitions to ban "DHMO" as the basis of his science project, titled "How Gullible Are We?"
"Dihydrogen monoxide" may sound dangerous to those with a limited knowledge of chemistry or who hold to an ideal of a "chemical-free" life (
chemophobiaChemophobia literally means "fear of chemicals", but the term may be used in various ways. It is most often used to describe the assumption that "chemicals" are bad and "natural" things are good...
). The only familiar common usage of the term "monoxide" is in the highly poisonous gas "
carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas, yet very toxic to humans. It consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, connected by a covalent double bond and a dative covalent bond...
", and the simplified term "
monoxide poisoningCarbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
" is commonly used to refer to poisoning by this colorless and odorless substance. Health officials frequently advise the purchase of
carbon monoxide detectorA carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide gas in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is a colorless and odorless compound produced by incomplete combustion. It is often referred to as the "silent killer" because it is...
s to protect against this poison, which is sometimes referred to simply as "monoxide".
Original web appearance
The first appearance on the web was attributed by the
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
to the so-called
Coalition to Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide, a hoax organization started by Craig Jackson following the initial newsgroup discussions. The site included the following warning:
Public efforts involving DHMO
- In 1989, Eric Lechner, Lars Norpchen and Matthew Kaufman circulated a Dihydrogen Monoxide contamination warning on the UC Santa Cruz Campus via photocopied fliers. The concept originated one afternoon when Kaufman recalled a similar warning about "Hydrogen Hydroxide" that had been published in his mother's hometown paper, the Durand (Michigan) Express, and the three then worked to coin a term that "sounded more dangerous". Lechner typed up the original warning flier on Kaufman's computer, and a trip to the local photocopying center followed that night.
- In 1994, Craig Jackson created a web page for the Coalition to Ban DHMO. The page spread widely on the net and off, including publication as an ad in a 1995 issue of Analog Magazine.
- The Friends of Hydrogen Hydroxide was created by Dan Curtis Johnson
Dan Curtis Johnson is a programmer and comic book writer, known primarily for his creation Dan Curtis Johnson (also DC Johnson, D. Curtis Johnson) is a programmer and comic book writer, known primarily for his creation Dan Curtis Johnson (also DC Johnson, D. Curtis Johnson) is a programmer and...
partly as a foil on the Coalition page, to provide evidence of 'misguided' supporters of dihydrogen monoxide. This form of collaborative connivance is a classic tool of internet spoofers.
- In 1997, Nathan Zohner, a 14-year-old junior high student at Eagle Rock Junior High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls is the county seat and largest city of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 50,730, with a 2008 metro population of 122,995.Idaho Falls is the largest city in the Eastern Idaho region...
, gathered 43 votes to ban the chemical, out of 50 people surveyed among his classmates. Zohner received the first prize at Greater Idaho Falls Science FairA science fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created...
for analysis of the results of his survey. In recognition of his experiment, journalist James K. GlassmanJames K. Glassman is an American conservative editorialist, journalist and author. Glassman was confirmed by the Senate in 2007 to be Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency that provides programming about America to non-American overseas audiences via the...
coined the term "Zohnerism" to refer to "the use of a true fact to lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a false conclusion."
- In 1998, drawing inspiration from Jackon's web page and Zohner's research, Tom Way created the website DHMO.org, including links to some legitimate sites such as the Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged to regulate chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land...
and National Institutes of HealthThe National Institutes of Health is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. It consists of 27 separate institutes and centers which includes the Office...
. Evaluating such sites can be instructive in developing critical thinkingCritical thinking is assumed to be the purposeful and reflective judgement about what to believe or what to do in response to observations, experience, verbal or written expressions, or arguments...
and information literacySeveral conceptions and definitions of information literacy have become prevalent. For example, one conception defines information literacy in terms of a set of competencies that an informed citizen of an information society ought to possess to participate intelligently and actively in that society...
skills.
- On April 1, 1998 (April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is a day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to...
), a member of the Australian Parliament announced a campaign to ban dihydrogen monoxide internationally.
- The idea was used for a segment of an episode of the Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller is a double act consisting of Penn Jillette and Teller. The duo's act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn is a raconteur and Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard throughout their performance...
show Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, in which an actor and a camera crew gathered signatures from concerned environmentalists on a petition to ban DHMO.
- In March 2004, Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California, United States. It has a population of 40,166 as of the 2000 census and an estimated population as of 2007 of 41,424. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
almost considered banning the use of foam containers at city-sponsored events because dihydrogen monoxide is part of their production. A paralegal had asked the city councilA city council is the legislative body that governs a city, municipality or local government area.-Australia:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council may vary slightly...
to put it on the agenda; he later attributed it to poor research. The law was pulled from the agenda before it could come to a vote, but not before the city received a raft of bad publicity.
- In 2006, in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is Kentucky's largest city and county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's estimated population as of 2008 was 713,877 , with a population of 1,244,696 in the Louisville...
, David Karem, executive director of the Waterfront Development Corporation, a public body that operates Waterfront ParkLouisville Waterfront Park is a 72-acre municipal park adjacent to the downtown area of Louisville, Kentucky and the Ohio River. Specifically, it is adjacent to Louisville's wharf and Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, which are situated to the west of the park.-Development:Phase I of Waterfront Park...
, which features a large, accessible public fountain, wished to deter bathers from using the fountain, without mentioning the actual bacterial contamination. "Counting on a lack of understanding about water's chemical makeup," he arranged for signs reading: "DANGER WATER - CONTAINS HIGH LEVELS OF HYDROGEN - KEEP OUT" to be posted on the fountain at public expense.
- Several online petitions to the British prime minister on this subject have been correctly identified by the prime minister's office
10 Downing Street is the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury and hence Prime Minister of the United Kingdom...
as hoaxes, and rejected.
- In one episode of the children's science show How 2
How 2 was an informative children's programme produced by TVS between 1990 and 1992, and STV Productions from 1993 to 2006. The original show - How - was produced by Southern Television from 1966 up until 1981 when the company lost its franchise to TVS. It was a regular fixture in the CITV...
, Fred Dinenage used a glass of water in a perspex box to carry out the hoax, before drinking the water then explaining the truth.
- In 2007 Jacqui Dean
Jacqueline Isobel Dean is a New Zealand politician and the current Member of Parliament for the Waitaki electorate.-Early career:Dean has worked in a number of roles, including professional acting...
, New Zealand National Party MP, fell for the hoax, writing a letter to Associate Minister of Health Jim AndertonJames Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is leader of the Progressive Party, a political party in the New Zealand Parliament. He has served in Parliament since 1984...
asking "Does the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs have a view on the banning of this drug?"
Terminology
The water molecule has the
chemical formulaA chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
H
2O, meaning each
moleculeA molecule is defined as an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from polyatomic ions in this strict sense...
of water is composed of two
hydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, nonmetallic, tasteless, highly flammable diatomic gas with the molecular formula H
2...
atomThe atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
s and one
oxygenOxygen Oxygen Oxygen (acid, literally "sharp", from the taste of acids) and -γενής (-genēs) (producer, literally begetter) is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O...
atom. Literally, the term "dihydrogen monoxide" means "two hydrogen, one oxygen", consistent with its molecular formula: the prefix
di- in
dihydrogen means "two", the prefix
mono- in
monoxide means "one", and an
oxideAn oxide is a chemical compound containing at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides. Oxides result when elements are oxidized by oxygen in air. Combustion of hydrocarbons affords the two principal oxides of carbon, carbon...
is a compound that contains one or more oxygen atoms.
The use of numerical prefixes is typical nomenclature for compounds formed by
covalent bondA covalent bond is a form of chemical bonding that is characterized by the sharing of pairs of electrons between atoms, or between atoms and other covalent bonds...
s, which are present in water. The prefix for the first named element is often dropped if the elements involved commonly form only one compound, or even if the number of atoms of the first-named element is the same in all the compounds of the two (or more) elements. Thus H
2S is often simply called
hydrogen sulfideHydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula H
2S. This colorless, toxic and flammable gas is partially responsible for the foul odor of rotten eggs and flatulence....
, and
lithium oxideLithium oxide or lithia is an inorganic chemical compound. Lithium oxide is formed along with small amounts of lithium peroxide when lithium metal is burned in the air and combines with oxygen:Pure can be produced by the thermal decomposition of lithium peroxide, at 450°C-Structure:In the solid...
is a common name for Li
2O. However, the names dihydrogen sulfide, dilithium oxide, and dilithium monoxide are also commonly used both in industry and in universities.
The mono- prefix is often dropped for the second-named element if it is the only common compound the elements form. Thus for instance the
IUPACThe IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry is a systematic method of naming inorganic chemical compounds as recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry . Ideally, every inorganic compound should have a name from which an unambiguous formula can be determined...
name of H
2S is hydrogen sulfide rather than hydrogen monosulfide. However, since carbon and oxygen can form several compounds (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
tricarbon dioxideCarbon suboxide, or tricarbon dioxide, is an oxide of carbon with chemical formula C3O2 or O=C=C=C=O. Its four cumulative double bonds make it a cumulene...
, and
dicarbon monoxideDicarbon monoxide is an extremely reactive molecule that contains two carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. It is covalently bonded. It is a product of the photolysis of carbon suboxide. It is closely related to CO, CO2 and C3O2, and other oxocarbons.It is stable...
), the mono- prefix is kept, as it is with silicon monoxide and silicon dioxide. Indeed, hydrogen and oxygen do form another common compound, H
2O
2 (
hydrogen peroxideHydrogen peroxide is a very pale blue liquid, slightly more viscous than water, that appears colorless in dilute solution. It is a weak acid, has strong oxidizing properties, and is a powerful bleaching agent. It is used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, oxidizer, and in rocketry as a propellant...
). Using prefix nomenclature, H
2O
2 would be called dihydrogen dioxide. Thus, keeping the mono- in dihydrogen monoxide does serve to distinguish it from another compound.
Various names for water are commonly used within the scientific community. Some such names include
hydrogen oxide, as well as an
alkaliIn chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Alkalis are best known for being bases that dissolve in water. Bases are compounds with a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base, especially for...
name of
hydrogen hydroxide, and several acid names such as
hydroxic acid,
hydroxylic acid, and
hydroxilic acid. The term "hydroxyl acid" used in the original hoax is slightly incorrect, as it does not follow convention. Additional names of
μ-oxido dihydrogen and
oxidane have been developed for this compound.
Under the 2005 revisions of
IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistryThe IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry is a systematic method of naming inorganic chemical compounds as recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry . Ideally, every inorganic compound should have a name from which an unambiguous formula can be determined...
, there is no single correct name for every compound. The primary function of chemical nomenclature is to ensure that the person who hears or reads a chemical name is under no ambiguity as to which chemical compound it refers: each name should refer to a single substance. It is considered less important to ensure that each substance should have a single name, although the number of acceptable names is limited. Water is one acceptable name for this compound, even though it is neither a systematic nor international name, and is specific to one phase of the compound. The other IUPAC recommendation is
oxidane.
See also
- Chemical nomenclature
Chemical nomenclature is the system for naming chemical compounds.There are two systems of chemical nomenclature: organic and inorganic.* Organic compounds are named according to the organic nomenclature system....
- Parody science
Parody science, sometimes called spoof science, is a parody of science. One parody science can make a parody of several branches of science at the same time...
- Sense and reference
The distinction between Sinn and Bedeutung was an innovation of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottlob Frege in his 1892 paper Über Sinn und Bedeutung , which is still widely read today...
- Water intoxication
Water intoxication is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water.Normal, healthy individuals have little reason to worry about accidentally consuming too...
External links