Here are 20 common misconceptions:
Science & Nature
- Lightning never strikes the same place twice – It often does, especially tall structures like the CN Tower.
- Humans only use 10% of their brains – Brain scans show we use almost all parts of our brain over time.
- Cracking knuckles causes arthritis – There's no scientific link between knuckle cracking and arthritis.
- Water conducts electricity – Pure water doesn’t; it’s the impurities (minerals, salts) that make it conductive.
- Bats are blind – They have perfectly good eyesight and use echolocation as an additional sense.
History & Geography
- Vikings wore horned helmets – No historical evidence supports this; it’s a myth from 19th-century operas.
- Napoleon was extremely short – He was actually of average height for his time (about 5’6”).
- The Great Wall of China is visible from space – It’s not visible to the naked eye from space.
- Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake" – There’s no evidence she ever said this.
- Columbus discovered America – Indigenous peoples were already living there, and Norse explorers arrived centuries earlier.
Health & Food
- Carrots improve night vision – This myth was spread as WWII propaganda; while carrots are good for eye health, they don’t give super vision.
- Microwaving food destroys nutrients – It actually preserves more nutrients than boiling or frying.
- Sugar makes kids hyperactive – Studies show no direct link between sugar and hyperactivity.
- You need to drink eight glasses of water a day – Hydration needs vary, and food also provides water.
- Swallowed gum stays in your stomach for seven years – It passes through your digestive system like other food.
Animals & Evolution
- Goldfish have a three-second memory – They can actually remember things for months.
- Ostriches bury their heads in the sand – They don’t; they lower their heads to the ground to avoid predators.
- Dogs sweat by panting – They actually sweat through their paws, but panting helps cool them down.
General Knowledge
- Shaving makes hair grow back thicker – It only appears thicker because it’s cut bluntly.
- Toilets flush differently in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres due to the Coriolis effect – Household toilets are too small for this effect to have any impact; the design of the toilet determines the flush direction.
Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model
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