Dangers of DHMO

DHMO is an odorless, colorless liquid that has been known to be deteriorating to property, and has even caused death. There is even research going on to find whether or not it can be found in tumors or cancer cells. Should public use of DHMO be banned?

This was only a snippet of information presented to me in the form a video during class. We were asked to pick one option: to ban it, or not. With that being the only information given, it was surprisingly hard to make a choice. We voted with our iClickers, so we were able to see the results forming on the screen in the classroom.The percentage of "Yes" continued to rise, while "No" only stayed at one percent. Due to the pressure of our peers, we all proceeded to pick yes, with the exception of one person. I, at this point, knew something was up. This had to be a trick question. But what was the trick?

Immediately after voting yes, I knew I should've said no. We weren't given enough information to make a good decision. I voted yes because that was what everyone else was doing. My gut feeling was soon proved correct. What is DHMO, you ask? None other than dihydrogen monoxide. Two hydrogens, and one oxygen, also known as water, and we should not go around banning water. We need water; we are made up of 75% water. We're often way too quick at answering questions, and quite frequently without substantial information to support our answer. Through this activity, I learned that I shouldn't let the decisions of others affect mine, and also that I should answer more cautiously when not given the right amount of information. That is a two way street, however. I will now be more aware of information I'm giving my future students, so that they can confidently answer questions from the knowledge they retain.