Boato do monóxido de di-hidrogênio (DHMO) : um levantamento histórico, estudo do artigo “DHMO, die wässrige gefahr” e a importância da educação científica

Abstract

The dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) rumor is about naming the water molecule (H2O) by an unusual technical name to confuse and deceive inattentive people or people who do not have technical knowledge on the subject. Usually treated as a joke, it has been known on the internet since the 1980s. Since then, variations of the rumor have been created, such as videos and texts that attest to the dangers of DHMO and petitions for its ban. A version of the latter was then performed in a public school in Aracaju/SE, obtaining 115 signatures, including from teachers. The results obtained with the petition, which indicated a certain chemophobia of the interviewees, served as a trigger for the realization of this monograph. Such an action is then highlighted as Zohnerism, which refers to the use of true information to lead a certain audience to false conclusions. However, there is little in the literature on the topic of DHMO, with the work entitled “DHMO, die wässrige gefahr” being one of the few results found on the CAPES Journal Database. Nevertheless, it was found that the work contains false, distorted and sensationalist information and references about the existence of a molecule called DHMO which, in turn, would have several dangers. Due to the presence of this article in several worldwide academic databases, the work was detailed and compiled, paying attention to all the information provided. By contacting the journal's publisher, consideration was given to labeling the article as an ironic comment to avoid confusion. Thus, pedagogical methodologies were sought in the literature to identify rumors, especially about DHMO, to be applied in schools. The ABCD methodology (Authority, Bias, Coverage and Date) developed by Prof. Karla Krueger, which is based on the analysis of authorship, bias, ballast or security and date of information, is an example in which the author herself mentions that her methodology can be efficient against rumors in DHMO. Thus, the importance of science education is shown, especially in the school environment, at the present time, where the amount of information that reaches people through the media and social networks is much greater than what can be verified individually.