19 common misconceptions from around the world
Nathan Johnson
Published
11/15/2015
debunked
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1.
Misconception: Dogs and cats see in black and white. While they cannot see the same spectrum of color as humans, there sight is much more complex than just black and white. -
2.
Misconception: Camel humps store water for long journeys. Camel humps actually contain fat to help fuel long journeys across the desert. Without these humps, camels would not be able to make it as far as they do without food. -
3.
Misconception: It’s pronounced, “Play it by year”. Commonly mispronounced, the phrase is actually “play it by ear.” This stems from the action of playing music by ear alluding to the idea that someone figures out a situation as it comes. -
4.
Misconception: All of the alcohol burns off when cooking with alcoholic beverages. When using wine and other alcoholic beverages to cook with, anywhere from 5-80% of the alcohol can remain depending on how long the alcohol is cooked. -
5.
Misconception: Dropping a penny from a skyscraper will kill someone. While we don’t condone the act of dropping a penny from the top of a building, it seems as if this doesn’t have the capability to kill someone. When the penny is dropped, it will max out at a speed of 50 MPH and if it were to hit someone, it will just hurt really, really bad. -
6.
Misconception: Waking up a sleepwalker will harm them. Waking a sleepwalker is not an easy thing to do, but if you were to succeed, the worst that you could do is cause them the same distress that you feel when waking up to your alarm. They may be disoriented and may react erradically, but they won’t be directly harmed from being woken up. -
7.
Misconception: Viking helmets have horns. Vikings did wear helmets, but the idea of them having horns was popularized by a an opera performance in the 1800s where viking helmets were given horns to look more intimidating. -
8.
Misconception: Bananas grow on tress. While it may look like they grow on trees, the large plants are actually classified as herbs. -
9.
Misconception: Drinking milk and consuming other dairy products should be avoided when you’re sick. People think that dairy products increase mucous production when you are sick, but this is simply not true. The truth is that there is no connection. -
10.
Misconception: George Washington had wooden teeth. Due to the staining of the dentures, they may have looked like wood, but they were actually made of bone, ivory, human teeth, brass screws, lead, and gold metal wire. -
11.
Misconception: Searing meat seals in the juices. Searing meat can be very flavorful as it creates a nice crust on the meat, however it is impossible to seal in the juices. -
12.
Misconception: Twinkies never expire. While they may taste like they could last forever, the truth is that they only have a 45 day shelf life. -
13.
Misconception: Men think about sex every seven seconds. Every seven seconds would mean that men think about sex 500 times an hour and more than 8,000 times a day. This is a massive exaggeration that was skewed after research conducted by the Kinsey Institute that simply concluded men think about sex more than women. -
14.
Misconception: Spiders are insects. While spiders and insects may be similar in size and “nopeness,” spiders are classified as arachnids, not insects. -
15.
Misconception: Being in the cold for too long will make you sick. Your mother probably warned you of this throughout your childhood, but being outside in the cold may have been your best option for staying healthy. The reason so many people get sick during colder months is because we are typically indoors more, increasing our exposure to infections. -
16.
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. While Mount Everest’s peak is the highest point on earth, it is not the tallest mountain. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is actually taller, but due to it being so close to sea level, it gets beat out in geographical height by Mt. Everest. -
17.
Misconception: We only use 10% of our brains. If we only used 10% of our brains, we would most likely be dead. We use 100% of our brains but the key to remember is that 100% of our brains aren’t active at all times. -
18.
Misconception: Bulls are enraged by the color red. Bulls are color blind and cannot see red as we see it. It is actually the movement of the cape that enrages the bull and makes it charge. -
19.
Misconception: Chameleons change color to match what they’re touching. While chameleons do change color it is not to match what they are touching. They simply have different color changing responses to different stimuli that are pre-programmed.
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