[jyriand]

This title is unreadable.

[klodolph]

Yes. I think it’s a garden path sentence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden-path_sentence

“3M Execs convinced a Scientist…” ok

“3M Execs convinced a Scientist PFOS Found”… ok, the PFOS found the scientist?

“3M Execs convinced a Scientist PFOS found in Human Blood”… PFOS found a scientist in human blood?

The problem is that there are gramatically valid ways to parse partial versions of the sentence, which you have to reparse as you go through the sentence.

[manuel_w]

Interesting that for me as a native German speaker the title poses no problem at all. It seems to follow a structure I'm used from German language.

[faeyanpiraat]

Thanks for the lucky 10k moment

[chrisjj]

“3M Execs convinced a Scientist [of the fact that] PFOS found in Human Blood”

[coldtea]

Sounds like

executives from the company 3M

convinced a scientist (presumanly to sign off)

that PFOS (chemicals used for certain non-stick properties in domestic and industrial products)

that seem to leak into human blood when using said products

are safe

[Arthur_ODC]

That's what I immediately understood the title to mean... Is this not what the title is saying? I'm confused as to why people are having trouble understanding it.

[spixy]

except you dont convince a scientists to sign off

you can force a scientists to sign off...

[iudqnolq]

HN's automatic title worsener strikes again.

Apparently the theory is that the word "How" in titles is always meaningless clickbait so HN automatically removes it. I don't believe this actually improves things.

[smileybarry]

Might be one of the rare cases where adding a “that” is actually necessary.

[alchemist1e9]

That would definitely help a lot.

[bbarn]

Not to mention the overuse of the term "gaslighting". What used to mean a serious systematic method of making someone question reality is now simply "lied", apparently.

[Terr_]

Agreed, that misuse has growing a lot in the last several years, and it annoys me.

Sort of like people misusing the phrase "Ponzi scheme" to refer to basically any kind of unsustainable and ethically-dubious thing whatsoever.

[EasyMark]

Scientist convinced by 3M executives to ignore the dangers of PFAs?

[meristohm]

Why is this criticism the top comment a day later?

[seec]

The whole thing is a poorly written snooze fest. Lots of stories with many irrelevant details yet it contains pretty much no factual data.

[colmvp]

I thought the rule was to keep the title the same as the article? The title is: "Toxic Gaslighting: How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe"

[ximeng]

That’s 115 characters. 80 is the max

[jschveibinz]

Toxic Gaslighting of 3M Employee: "Forever Chemicals are Safe"

Better?