Science mistake Memes

One oxygen atom makes the difference between hydration and a trip to the emergency room! H 2 O 2 (hydrogen peroxide) isn't exactly a refreshing beverage unless you're particularly fond of chemical burns, tissue damage, and possibly becoming your own science experiment. That tiny extra oxygen atom transforms life-sustaining water into a caustic bleaching agent that'll oxidize your insides faster than a freshman chem student can say "exothermic reaction." The facial transformation in the meme perfectly captures what would happen to your internal organs—and possibly your existence—if you confused these two remarkably similar-looking formulas.

The marketing department clearly skipped chemistry class. "C₂O" would be carbon suboxide—a highly toxic, flammable gas that smells like rotten fish and definitely not what you want in your refreshing tropical beverage. If coconut water actually contained C₂O instead of H₂O with some electrolytes, we'd have a lot fewer Instagram influencers pushing hydration trends and a lot more emergency room visits. Drink up! Nothing says "wellness" like a compound that spontaneously polymerizes at room temperature.