Popular Myths That Are Not True

Submitted by Rolf - Thu, 8 Oct 2009

Recently I read about a myth, claiming that a duck's quack would not have an echo. It was not even presented as a myth, but as a did-you-know fact. It made me almost angry that people could be so stupid, not just to spread this 'knowledge', but to believe it.

Here are many more popular myths which are less obvious but still very much untrue. I don't see the necessity to 'bust' all the myths. Most are debunked by your common sense.

• It takes seven years to digest chewing gum


• The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space
  It's long, but it's not very wide.


• Humans use only 10 percent of their brains
  Psychics love to use this myth and claim they use like 20 or 30%. Most people actually use all of their brain.


• Adults don't grow new brain cells


• On the southern hemisphere water drains the other way around
  This myth is globally accepted, but still not true.


• Animals can predict natural disasters


• A penny dropped from the top of a tall building can kill someone
  Not unless the penny weighs several pounds.


• A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's
  Feel free to french kiss a random dog.


• Men think about sex every seven seconds
  Often, but not *that* often...


• God exists
  Not being able to prove something doesn't exist, does not mean it does exist. Dragons and kobolds are not any less credible. They exist, too.


• Lightning never strikes the same place twice
  Lightning actually tends to hit the same place several times. That's the nature of lightning.


• There is no gravity in space
  Gravity doesn't stop at the end of the atmosphere and every planet has it's own gravity field which, in theory, extends into infinity.


• Hair and fingernails continue growing after death
  Skin retracts, making hair and nails appear to grow.


• A duck's quack has no echo
  This was even tested professionally (and found to be false, obviously).


• The tongue is the strongest muscle
  Do you know anyone that can do pushups with their tongue? And if you think it's about the size/strength ratio, consider that there are people who can pull their own weight with one finger.


• Fresh vegetables contain more vitamins than canned


• Fresh fruit is better than dried fruit


• A cold is curable
  The symptoms can be supressed, which is not the same thing.


• Sugar makes kids hyperactive


• Glass is actually a very slow liquid
  Old glass panes were bad quality and cooled vertically, causing the bottom part of the glass to be thicker and wobbly.


• You lose most of your body heat through your head
  Not when naked.


• Cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis in later life


• Back pain should be treated with bed rest


• Eating at night makes you fat
  The time of day has nothing to do with how fat you will become. Unless of course you eat all day including at night.


• It is harder to lose weight than to gain weight


• Fat free food is calorie free


• It is better to eat six small meals during the day instead of three larger meals
  With six meals, the chances are bigger than you lose control of the maximum recommended portion size.


• It takes more calories to eat a stick of celery than are in the celery


• Decaf coffee contains no caffeine


• Excess salt increases your blood pressure
  Only if you have a high blood pressure already, or for any other reason are sensitive to salt, then salt is bad. Otherwise, use as much in your food as you deem tasty.


• Fast food is bad for you
  It's as bad as eating spaghetti each and every day.


• The 5-second rule: food that drops on the floor is safe to eat within five seconds
  Germs don't need 5 seconds to attach themselves to your food.


• An elephant is the only mammal that can't jump
  Don't let that rhinoceros hear it.


• The fruit eaten by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden was an apple
  Suppose the entire story is true, nowhere is the type of fruit mentioned.


• You can lengthen or widen your penis with devices or medications
  Bad news, you can't.


• Goldfish have a memory of only three seconds
  Just because they don't care, doesn't mean they don't remember.


• Shaving cause hair to grow back thicker or coarser or darker


• There is a dark side of the moon
  Other than the absolutely brilliant album by Pink Floyd, our moon is lit by the sun on all sides at some time.


• Cannabis causes crime
  The people that keep this myth alive should try cannabis personally and see how aggressive or criminal they will be.


• Cannabis kills brain cells
  It affects your short-term memory, and only during the effect. After a few hours all is fine.


• Cannabis is highly addictive
  I have 'tested' this personally. I used the substance for more than 30 days every day, then went cold turkey and felt no urge whatsoever, other than the habit of having something in my left hand and the act of smoking it.