Dihydrogen monoxide is used all over the world, by billions of people every day, and many have died because of it.
Did you know that dihydrogen monoxide can kill you? It could cause serious burns. It’s fatal to breathe in. There is a large amount of dihydrogen monoxide in cancerous tumors. Dihydrogen monoxide can even rust and corrode metal. It’s used in nuclear power plants. Month old water bottles at the supermarket contain dihydrogen monoxide. Dihydrogen monoxide is the major component of acid rain. Once it comes in contact with your skin, it cannot be washed off. There’s more dihydrogen monoxide in your child’s juice box than an ounce of methamphetamine. Every serial killer has admitted to having used dihydrogen monoxide. They actually deliberately spray dihydrogen monoxide onto organic crops. It can even be found coming out of the tap in your sink. Dihydrogen monoxide is an acid with a PH level of 7. That’s a higher PH level than any other acid. Dihydrogen monoxide is real, and you come in contact with it every day.
The dihydrogen monoxide hoax has been around for many years. It can even be traced back to the 80’s. It’s no surprise that the internet has taken this hoax to a whole other level, but its origins go back way further. In 1983, Durand Express printed an article on April Fool’s Day about dihydrogen monoxide being found in the city’s water pipes in Durand, MI. Eric Lechner, Lars Norpchen, and Matthew Kaufman brought the hoax back almost a decade later at the University of California in Santa Cruz by handing out flyers around campus. In 1994, the hoax ended up on the internet for the very first time. Craig Jackson created an organization called "Coalition to Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide." In 1997, the hoax gained widespread public attention when Nathan Zohner, a 14-year-old student in Idaho, based his science fair project on the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide. In 2007, New Zealand National MP Jacqui Dean was tricked by a letter asking to raise the issues of dihydrogen monoxide. In 2013, on April Fool’s Day once again, a pair of disc jockeys at Gator County 101.9 in Lee County, Florida warned their listeners that dihydrogen monoxide was coming out of local residents’ taps. And that is just to name a few. Now people post memes, quotes, articles, and websites to warn their friends of the “dangers” of dihydrogen monoxide. There are entire websites dedicated to dihydrogen monoxide. There’s even a “dhmo.org”.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, “dihydrogen monoxide” is the chemical name for water. The incredible thing about this hoax is that everything is true. Water can cause burns. You can’t breathe it. It can kill you. It is found in your food and it does come out of your sink. But people react to this hoax out of real fear. Jacqui Dean wrote 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?" The local utility company in Lee County, Florida had to send out a release, assuring local residents that the water is clean. It just goes to show you that people will believe anything. And the internet is not to blame. This hoax predates the internet. No matter what generation it is, people are people. It could be a website, a meme, or a flyer handed out on a college campus, there’s going to be people who believe it to be true.
So next time you read a rumor online somewhere, try doing some research before you react.
