To show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment, a 14 year old student, in his project, urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical dihydrogen monoxide.
Most people didn't know that dihydrogen monoxide is nothing but regular water (H2O).
Given below are 7 actual facts about water that seem to convince it's a highly dangerous chemical.
Get conditioned!
1.
it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting
2.
it is a major component in acid rain
3.
it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
4.
accidental inhalation can kill you
5.
it contributes to erosion
6.
it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
7.
it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients
Conclusion
50 people were asked if they supported a ban of the chemical (after conditioning them with above facts).. 43 said yes, 6 were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was water.
The student behind this was at Eagle Rock Junior High and he won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair April 26 1997, for this. It's a classic example in explaining rhetorical tactic or critical thinking.