15 thoughts on “April Fools’ prank about ‘dihydrogen monoxide’ in water gets Florida deejays suspended”
Oh, but how would you disambiguate the -1 state and -2 state for the oxygen, then?
Okay, I guess the IUPAC system has changed from what I remember from the 70s.
I think the IUPAC term would be hydrogen oxide. The di- and mono- prefixes are redundant since hydrogen has only one possible oxidation state in combination with oxygen.
Gotta love it. H2O. Hydrogen Hydroxide. Dihydrogen monoxide, more or less IUPAC for the common term water. Hydrogen, from the Greek, water generator/maker/former. Oxygen, semi-formally from the Greek, acid generator/maker/former.
I love it! If anyone asks, say that it’s the mono-oxygenated form of Hydrogen peroxide.
I like the Hydrogen Hydroxide term! Gotta try that!
“Acceeentuaaate the positive, eeeeliminaaate the negative,
And you get a pH of 1.”
One day I prepared a petition to ban the use of dihydrogen monoxide because every year lots of people die it it, and because it is used in many pesticides. I carried this about the Florida Museum of Natural History, where I was a volunteer. I did it for the laughs I expected to get for teasing the many silly petitions we are sometimes offered. But was horrified when virtually every person I approached in this premier science institution read the petition and signed it before I could stop them. These were all educated, sophisticted people, mostly with degrees in science. I no longer volunteer there, because they subsequently fired me (as a volunteer).
No, you can educate people, but you cannot make them smart.
Personally, I prefer to call it Hydrogen Hydroxide as it is a byproduct of the reaction of a base and acid.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. (Robert A. Heinlein).
The station and authorities can thank an “educator” for the effectiveness of the prank.
Felony? For saying that the city’s water contained water. Good luck with that Mr. DA.
“Calling in a false water complaint…” The description does not seem to say the deejays told anyone not to use water. They made a truthful statement. I’d say they have a case against the management for suspending them if they never claimed there was an advisory that people should not use the dihydrogen monoxide that was coming out of their pipes.
They must have an audience if idiots, as well as an idiot for a manager. Anyone who even thinks superficially about it realizes it is a joke – even my 10 year old grandson understood it!
The latest health scare for the MSM to run with.
You gotta love this quote: “A search on the internet showed that “dihydrogen monoxide” is an alternative way — and popular hoax term — to describe water.”
So who is more stupid? The ones that fell for the prank? or the reporter that did not know what it was off hand?
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Oh, but how would you disambiguate the -1 state and -2 state for the oxygen, then?
Okay, I guess the IUPAC system has changed from what I remember from the 70s.
I think the IUPAC term would be hydrogen oxide. The di- and mono- prefixes are redundant since hydrogen has only one possible oxidation state in combination with oxygen.
Gotta love it. H2O. Hydrogen Hydroxide. Dihydrogen monoxide, more or less IUPAC for the common term water. Hydrogen, from the Greek, water generator/maker/former. Oxygen, semi-formally from the Greek, acid generator/maker/former.
I love it! If anyone asks, say that it’s the mono-oxygenated form of Hydrogen peroxide.
I like the Hydrogen Hydroxide term! Gotta try that!
“Acceeentuaaate the positive, eeeeliminaaate the negative,
And you get a pH of 1.”
One day I prepared a petition to ban the use of dihydrogen monoxide because every year lots of people die it it, and because it is used in many pesticides. I carried this about the Florida Museum of Natural History, where I was a volunteer. I did it for the laughs I expected to get for teasing the many silly petitions we are sometimes offered. But was horrified when virtually every person I approached in this premier science institution read the petition and signed it before I could stop them. These were all educated, sophisticted people, mostly with degrees in science. I no longer volunteer there, because they subsequently fired me (as a volunteer).
No, you can educate people, but you cannot make them smart.
The DJs have been reinstated: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/03/radio-hosts-back-on-air-after-suspension-for-dihydrogen-monoxide-april-fools-joke-thats-h20/
Personally, I prefer to call it Hydrogen Hydroxide as it is a byproduct of the reaction of a base and acid.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. (Robert A. Heinlein).
The station and authorities can thank an “educator” for the effectiveness of the prank.
Felony? For saying that the city’s water contained water. Good luck with that Mr. DA.
“Calling in a false water complaint…” The description does not seem to say the deejays told anyone not to use water. They made a truthful statement. I’d say they have a case against the management for suspending them if they never claimed there was an advisory that people should not use the dihydrogen monoxide that was coming out of their pipes.
They must have an audience if idiots, as well as an idiot for a manager. Anyone who even thinks superficially about it realizes it is a joke – even my 10 year old grandson understood it!
The latest health scare for the MSM to run with.
You gotta love this quote: “A search on the internet showed that “dihydrogen monoxide” is an alternative way — and popular hoax term — to describe water.”
So who is more stupid? The ones that fell for the prank? or the reporter that did not know what it was off hand?