CAMPAIGNING against the hazards of the ubiquitous pollutant dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) has moved on apace since Feedback last reported on the threat (17 June 2000). It is a substance that contributes to the greenhouse effect and is a common cause of soil erosion. Contamination is worldwide: it is present in every stream, lake and reservoir in America today, and substantial quantities are even found in the Antarctic.
Even those who disdain such environmental concerns should be worried. DMHO is almost certainly present in your vital bodily fluids. It has been detected in all varieties of tumour. Accidental inhalation of even small quantities may cause death, and exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
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What, then, is to be done? Dave Silkstone draws our attention to the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division (), which has launched a programme of awareness-raising. As part of this campaign, in February this year Ryan Serrano surveyed Hoover High School in Alabama. Presented with facts such as those above, 56 of the 62 students surveyed signed his petition to support a ban on DHMO. Two refused on the grounds that they were opposed to petitions. notes that the remaining four who opposed a ban 鈥渃ited chemistry classes they have taken as the reason鈥�. This may have sinister implications: 鈥淧erhaps chemistry classes are being taught in such a way as to bias students towards DHMO. Thankfully, as the data shows, most people either do not take such courses or do not pay much attention in them.鈥�
鈥淭he packaging of a Black & Decker masonry drill boasts that it 鈥渄rills on contact鈥�. Richard Williams thinks it would be more interesting if it could drill from a distance鈥�
In March 2004, Virginia Williams conducted a much larger survey at Eagle Pass High School, Texas. Of the 518 people surveyed, only 319 supported a ban on DHMO. 鈥淗istorically,鈥� the report on this survey says, 鈥渟tudies which explore the public鈥檚 desire to support a ban of DHMO produce 80 to 90 per cent in favour of a ban. Some have proposed that an unusually high rate of information literacy may have biased the [Eagle Pass] results.鈥� Williams鈥檚 participants may even have looked up DHMO鈥檚 chemical formula and deduced its common name.
SEARCHING for craft supplies, Julie Kilmister stumbled across and was tickled to read: 鈥淧lastic bags use less resources to produce than paper bags 鈥� if they can be responsibly disposed of in land fill they are minimising global warming by performing a carbon sequestration function.鈥�
As she says, this 鈥渕ight be correct on some level鈥� because they鈥檙e made from oil. If they hadn鈥檛 been made, that oil might have been burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But still! Any other environmental scourges that have been spun so brazenly?
READER Crawford Woodman bought a pack of M&M 鈥淔all off the bone鈥� frozen ribs to barbecue. As he had not tried this particular product before, he decided to follow the instructions closely, but found them more challenging than he had expected. 鈥淧lace thawed ribs on grill and heat for 10 minutes,鈥� they advised. 鈥淭urn halfway through and continue grilling until thoroughly heated. To avoid burning, keep bone side of ribs facing down for two-thirds of the heating time.鈥� Can anyone help?
ATTACHED to the outside of the ATM Tico Roberts was using was a label with various for-the-most-part sensible suggestions on it such as 鈥淣ever use ATM alone鈥� and 鈥淒o not reveal your PIN to others鈥�. The final instruction, however, confused him. It said: 鈥淒isregard all instructions other than those on the machine screen.鈥�
This seemed to imply that everything on the label he had just read should be ignored 鈥� including the final instruction, which, however, if it was ignored, would mean the other instructions need not be ignored after all.
KAJ SIEBERT is really impressed by the perceptiveness of the London Metropolitan Police. According to about a street shooting in London: 鈥淧olice believe one or more people carried out the attack before fleeing the scene.鈥�
Siebert is interested in the alternatives to this: 鈥淣o people carried out the attack? A killer robot did it? Or maybe a passing swallow?鈥�
FINALLY, Clive Teale鈥檚 suggestion that a conference of 鈥減olinymous鈥� scientists 鈥� those with names of towns 鈥� should take place in the Lincolnshire village of Mavis Enderby (23 August) has prompted James Brown to inform us that a local wit has enlivened the signpost that says 鈥淭o Mavis Enderby and Old Bolingbroke鈥� by adding the words 鈥渢he gift of a son鈥�.