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 * Dihydrogen Monoxide!**

The Invisible Killer
Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death. **//Dihydrogen monoxide://** **//Contamination Is Reaching Epidemic Proportions!//** Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the midwest, and recently California. Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used: Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
 * is also known as hydroxyl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
 * contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
 * may cause severe burns.
 * 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.
 * 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.

//**The Horror Must Be Stopped!**// The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.


 * The Punchline **

DHMO (DiHydrogen MonOxide) is H2O, otherwise known as Water.

Every statement above about the dangers of DHMO is true, taken literally. But the dangers are carefully portrayed in a sensationalistic and chemical-phobic manner.


 * Modern History of the DHMO Phenomenon **

In the Fall of 1988 (as best as we can tell, it might possibly have been Spring of 1989), two UC Santa Cruz students named Eric Lechner and Lars Norpchen invented (or indepentently reinvented) the DHMO joke, and filled out a list of ten or so Dangers of DHMO. A number of other friends (including madbadscience.com's founders) then contributed some additional material.

Lars and Eric printed up fliers, took them up to the UCSC campus and handed them out to see what people's reactions were. They were generally completely taken in. Experiment successful.

Shortly thereafter the World Wide Web started up, and one of the contributors to the DHMO joke material, Craig Jackson, put up the website at [|www.circus.com/~no_dhmo].

Subsequently, the website and materials have been widely reproduced. They are still fooling people today.

Lars has recently commented that he now doesn't think that they were the first people to ever come up with the idea of the joke of DHMO, though neither he nor Eric were aware of any other predating versions when they invented or independently reinvented it. However, the particular list of dangers he and Eric did, and which was elaborated on first by other UCSC students and then many others, have clearly formed the basis for all identified modern versions of the joke. In that sense, credit clearly belongs to Eric and Lars for originating the idea as it exists in common usage.

If you happen to know of earlier DHMO jokes than 1988 let us know.


 * The Spread of the Phenomenon **

That we know of, the Coalition DHMO joke has been used or seen in at least all of the following:


 * ** Journal of the American Chemical Society ** - Described roughly as "Appearing to be someone's PhD thesis in public perception of chemicals"
 * ** Analog Magazine ** - Ran the original website contents as a joke ad.
 * ** Several Jr High School / High School Science Fairs ** - Including some winners who did surveys asking fellow students about the threat.
 * ** An actual college course in Chemistry ** - In which, unfortunately, most of the students assigned to read it did not get the point.
 * ** Our very own snopes.com Urban Legend entry ** - Listing the first Science Fair winner.
 * ** Dozens of knockoff websites ** - Some of which asked permission to use the Coalition materials, some of which didn't. A few of the websites have gone off and added a lot of new original material, including the excellent www.dhmo.org created by Tom Way.
 * ** A 2004 attempt by Aliso Viejo, CA to ban DHMO ** - Blamed on an overzealous paralegal researching a somewhat more scientifically plausible ban on Styrofoam in parks near creeks and reservoirs, the City Council had scheduled a vote to ban DHMO within city limits before someone clued them in. This made most national news in March 2004.