Science Perceptions: Dihydrogen Monoxide

I just got back from a conference called Society of In Vitro Biology where the subject matter was primarily about plant and animal tissue culture, propagation, and transformation among a smattering of other topics.    But there was one session that I was very happy to see and I think we as scientists need to hear more of.  It was all about the importance of  the perception of science and the fact that scientists probably need to do a better job of making science accessible and cool.

The talk we heard was from Adam Ruben (http://adamruben.net/) who describes himself as a storyteller, writer, and scientist.  He is on some science TV shows and has made it a point to communicate science in a fun and meaningful way.

This week I wanted to write about perception and what it can mean for science.  So this week a lot of what I say is taken from Adam's talk, but the material he shared really drives home the importance of sharing who scientists are and the importance of connecting with our communities.

The perception of science comes from all kinds of places.  One place is from what we read and hear in the media.  In April 2013, a radio station went on the air and told their listeners that dihydrogen monoxide was coming out of the water taps.

If you google dihydrogen monoxide it looks pretty dangerous.

Taken from Google search of dihydrogen monoxide

If I heard about DHMO on the radio and read about it, I would be rather concerned as well especially after you do a google images search and see all kinds of info like above.  And in this case,  listeners did call into the local utility to inquire what was going on.  The punch line is that DHMO is a joke and it is another way to say water (H2O).  The utility company had to send out a release stating the water was safe.  There are many other instances you can read about about DHMO getting the public anxious:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax    In this case the radio station hosts were suspended for a couple of days.  Something as simple as this joke has confused and put fear into the public numerous times.

However this story just goes to show just how quickly public panic can spread over non-truths simply from what they hear.  For me this is exactly what I see in the biotech industry. The anti-GMOers communicate a message, the public believes it and emotion takes over.    Scientists have not been communicating the other side of the story as well.  Science and what we do comes down to communication and education.  The ultimate message is that if you are into science then communicate that other side and don't be afraid to be yourself.  Let's turn the perception into one of trust and admiration.