Faced with misinformation and mistaken beliefs, science has busted many myths that were once popular, unveiling the real facts and shaking up our grasp of the world, leaving no room for ignorance.
You Can Catch a Cold From Being Cold
This is one of the most persistent myths out there, and it’s completely false. The common cold is caused by viruses, not low temperatures. You can only catch a cold from someone who is already infected or from touching a contaminated surface and then touching your nose or mouth. Being cold might make you more susceptible to infections, but it doesn’t cause them.
You Need to Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day
This is another myth that has no scientific basis. The amount of water you need depends on many factors, such as your body weight, activity level, climate, and diet. There is no universal rule for how much water you should drink. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink when you’re thirsty and to avoid beverages that dehydrate you, such as alcohol and caffeine.
You Only Use 10% of Your Brain
This is a myth that has been popularized by movies and books, but it’s completely untrue. You use 100% of your brain, just not all at once. Different parts of your brain are responsible for different functions, such as memory, language, vision, emotion, and so on. At any given moment, you are using different combinations of brain regions, depending on what you are doing or thinking. No part of your brain is dormant or unused.
Shaving Makes Your Hair Grow Back Thicker and Darker
This is a myth that many people believe, especially women who shave their legs or underarms. The truth is that shaving does not affect the thickness or color of your hair at all. It only cuts off the tip of the hair shaft, which is thinner and lighter than the base. When the hair grows back, it appears thicker and darker because it has a blunt end, not because it has changed in any way.
Cracking Your Knuckles Causes Arthritis
This is a myth that might scare you if you like to crack your knuckles or joints. The good news is that there is no evidence that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis or any other joint problems. The cracking sound you hear is caused by bubbles of gas escaping from the fluid that lubricates your joints. It’s harmless and does not damage your cartilage or bones.
You Can Tell the Gender of a Baby by the Shape of the Mother’s Belly
This is a myth that many people like to speculate about when they see a pregnant woman. Some say that if the belly is round and high, it’s a girl; if it’s low and pointy, it’s a boy. The truth is that the shape of the belly has nothing to do with the gender of the baby. It depends on many factors, such as the size and position of the baby, the amount of amniotic fluid, the muscle tone of the mother, and her body type.
Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight
This is a myth that might have originated from World War II propaganda when British pilots claimed that they ate carrots to improve their night vision. The reality is that carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for eye health, but it does not improve your eyesight or make you see better in the dark. If you have a vitamin A deficiency, eating carrots might help prevent blindness or night blindness, but if you have normal levels of vitamin A, eating more carrots won’t make any difference.
Humans Have Five Senses
This is a myth that we learn from an early age, but it’s not accurate. Humans have more than five senses, depending on how you define a sense. Besides sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, we also have senses such as balance (vestibular), temperature (thermoception), pain (nociception), body position (proprioception), and hunger (gustatory). Some scientists even argue that we have more than 20 senses.
Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice
This is a myth that might make you feel safe if you are near a place that has been struck by lightning before. The truth is that lightning can strike the same place twice, or even more times. Lightning is attracted to tall, metal, or pointy objects, such as buildings, towers, or trees. If these objects are still there after a lightning strike, they can be struck again. Some places, such as the Empire State Building in New York, are struck by lightning dozens of times a year.
You Can’t Fold a Piece of Paper More Than Seven Times
This is a myth that might challenge you to try it yourself. The idea is that if you fold a piece of paper in half, it doubles in thickness, and after seven-folds, it becomes too thick to fold any further. The reality is that you can fold a piece of paper more than seven times if you have a large enough piece of paper and enough force. In 2002, a high school student named Britney Gallivan folded a piece of toilet paper 12 times, breaking the world record. She also derived a mathematical formula to calculate how many folds are possible for any given paper size and thickness.
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