Art, obsession, and identity
Misconceptions are everywhere in the world and we're often told things that aren't really facts. Have you ever learned something and later realized it’s simply a myth and that there’s little to no truth behind it? From bats being blind to not shaving your arms because the hair will grow back thicker and everything in between, in this gallery, we’ll explore 30 common myths and the truths behind each one.
Which myths have you been holding onto? Click through now to find out more.
Truth: This widely spread rumor was dismissed by Einstein himself in 1935 when he told a rabbi at Princeton that he had mastered differential and integral calculus before he was 15 years old.
Truth: Historian Jeffrey Burton Russell has said that “with extraordinarly few exceptions, no educated person in the history of Western civilization from the third B.C. onward believed the Earth was flat.”
Truth: In 2003, NASA debunked this myth and said that not only does lightning strike the same place more than once, it does so about a third of the time.
Truth: Harvard Medical School tells us that cracking your knuckles does not increase your risk of developing arthritis, the cracking noise is simply collapsing gas bubbles.
Truth: According to Scientific American, this statement is a myth. It’s also been said that wild animals in general bond quickly with their young and thus aren't quick to abandon them.
Truth: Napoleon was likely of average height during his time in history. Historians suppose this particular myth was derived from caricatures of the general drawn by James Gillray in the early 1800s.
Truth: The State of California Department of Justice notes that there is no waiting period to report a missing person. All reports, regardless of timing, must be given priority and taken seriously.
Truth: This myth is absolutely false and in fact studies have indicated that goldfish could have a memory span of up to five months!
Truth: Despite what your parents might have told you growing up, this is false. Though the body needs extra blood to digest food, it's not enough to prevent the muscles in your extremities from working properly.
Truth: The vehicle code, specifically ABC30, says it's only illegal to add aftermarket lighting to the inside of your vehicle. It doesn’t prohibit the use of dome lights or map lights when it’s dark.
Truth: Teas are not what will detox or cure your body from toxins. According to Vox, unless you’re an addict or you’re at risk of alcohol poisoning, you probably don't need a detox.
Truth: Neurologist Barry Gordon told Scientific American that humans use virtually every part of their brain and that it’s active almost all of the time.
Truth: Bats can, in fact, see! According to the former executive director of the Organization for Bat Conservation, Rob Mies, bats can see three times better than humans.
Truth: According to National Geographic, this rumor probably originated from the fact that toads themselves have wart-like bumps on their skin, but they're just glands and don't secrete anything that can cause warts. Warts are only caused by human viruses.
Truth: Surprise! Bulls and other cattle are actually color-blind. According to Live Science, the bull is likely irritated by the cape’s movement as the matador whips it around.
Truth: Thanksgiving sleepiness is likely due to the amount of food we consume, not the Tryptophan in turkey. Think about it, chicken has more Tryptophan than turkey and we don’t feel unusually sleepy after consuming that.
Truth: The Mayo Clinic tells us that colds are caused by viruses. This means that a cold can’t be caught simply from going outside with wet hair. Colds are transmitted through bodily fluids, not wet hair.
Truth: The life cycle of flies can actually range greatly. Flies can live anywhere from a few days to a few years depending on the species and conditions. Even the common house fly can live for up to a month.
Truth: Shaving your hair doesn’t make it change color, nor does it affect the rate of growth or thickness, according to the Mayo Clinic. All that happens when you shave is it gives the hair a blunt tip and for some, it might feel more coarse as it grows back.
Truth: People often fret about earning more money as it will put them in a higher tax bracket. However, it’s important to know that only the marginal amount of money you start earning is taxed at a higher rate, not the entire amount.
Truth: No federal law restricts what information can be disclosed about a former employee, according to Balance Careers. Actually, most states allow employers to share details about job performance, responsibilities, and professional conduct.
Truth: MSG is prominent in processed foods but is not poisonous. It's often found in food that’s considered "bad" for you because it's high in fat and sodium, but MSG is not actually bad by itself.
Truth: Go ahead and wake the sleepwalker up! They are actually more likely to be hurt while sleepwalking than if you wake them up.
Truth: A penny is actually too small and flat for it to gain enough momentum and make any kind of fatal impact, says Scientific American. If you were struck by a falling coin, it would likely only be a minor inconvenience, nothing serious.
Truth: Washington did suffer from dental problems, according to historians at the Washington Library. However, his dentures were composed of ivory, gold, lead, and even other human teeth, not wood.
Truth: This isn’t necessarily a hard and fast rule and according to the Mayo Clinic the amount of water someone actually needs daily depends on different factors such as overall health, activity levels, and where you live.
Truth: Though you may think you’re warmer or even imagine feeling hotter, the alcohol you consume actually lowers your core body temperature according to a study published in the scientific journal ‘Alcohol.'
Truth: Though many parents refrain from giving their children sugar for fear that it will cause them to be hyperactive, this is only a myth. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that sugar in the diets of children doesn’t affect their behavior.
Truth: While the temperature of saltwater will get hotter faster than pure water, it still has a higher boiling point as the mass is greater, according to college professor Lesley-Ann Gildings and LiveScience. In short, salt water does not boil faster.
Sources: (BuzzFeed) (Siliconrepublic) (Best Life)
See also: Pregnancy myths people still believe
Do we only use 10% of our brains? 30 myths people (somehow) still believe
How many of these did you believe?
LIFESTYLE Misconceptions
Misconceptions are everywhere in the world and we're often told things that aren't really facts. Have you ever learned something and later realized it’s simply a myth and that there’s little to no truth behind it? From bats being blind to not shaving your arms because the hair will grow back thicker and everything in between, in this gallery, we’ll explore 30 common myths and the truths behind each one.
Which myths have you been holding onto? Click through now to find out more.