[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                AN INTERESTING OCCURRENCE IN IDAHO FALLS

  (Mrs. CHENOWETH asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Madam Speaker, a very interesting occurrence happened 
recently in Idaho Falls, ID. A 14-year-old young man by the name of 
Nathan Zohner engaged in a contest. The contest was entitled, ``Find 
Out How Gullible We Are.'' And Mr. Zohner engaged in this contest and 
he did a paper on dihydrogen monoxide asking students in his class if 
dihydrogen monoxide should not be made illegal because, after all, this 
chemical is so caustic that it accelerates the corrosion and rusting of 
many metals. It is a major component of acid rain and has been found in 
excised tumors of terminal cancer patients, and for those who have 
developed a dependency on DEHMO, complete withdrawal means certain 
death.
  We have to understand that these young people are from families 
generally who work at the NEEL, the National Environmental and 
Engineering Lab. They are very bright. But they voted 86 percent to do 
away with DEHMO.
  Do you know what DEHMO is, Madam Speaker? It is water, pure and 
simple, water.
  Maybe it takes a 14-year-old to lead us back to the land of common 
sense and reason.
  My hat goes off to Nathan Zohner to which the Washington Post defines 
this young man's research project as ``Zohnerism''--the use of a true 
fact to lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a 
false conclusion.
  Mr. Speaker, this perceptive young man has shown how science can be 
literally manipulated to fit the whims of social engineering 
extremists.
  In a time where sound scientific evidence is often overlooked, I 
believe it's the duty of politicians, journalists, and scientists to 
present facts accurately and responsibly.

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