How Gullible Are We?

[Petey]

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical "dihydrogen monoxide."

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

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

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

* Forty-three (43) said yes,
* Six (6) were undecided,
* Only one (1) knew that the chemical was water.

The title of his prize winning project was, "How Gullible Are We?"

He feels the conclusion is obvious.

http://www.theburningbiscuit.com/HowGullibleAreWe.html

[alpha]

People, generally, are stupid.

[Saenger]

Look at this page for further information about the perils of dihydrogen monoxide:
http://www.dhmo.org/

And as you can see, it was not the first of this kind of experiment.

[jasong]

Only 1 person in 50 realized it was water? That's just sad.

[wirthi]

I don't think that's sad. I'd really wish average people would be more educated but I doubt it can be expected from average inhabitants of the "western world" to know what dihydrogen monoxide is when asked on the streat.

What I condemn though is those folks who have such a strong oppinion pro or contra something (like this dihydrogen monoxide) without understanding what this really is, just believing what others told them without reflecting and yelling their paroles.

[willebenn]

They asked Al Gore about this stuff and he said he invented it just before he invented the internet

[Petey]

Believing a politician...now that's what I call gullible!!

[LAURENU2]

Try this go downtown with a friend stand at a street corner and look up and start to point up at all the tall buildings for a few Min's
It will start a chain reaction People will start to stop and look up to see what is going on even after you stop and move on

[Digital Parasite]

Classic, that is great.