G3M Busting

25 Bizarre Myths People Think Are True

Here are 25 bizarre myths that many people believe are true, alongside the reality:

1.  Chameleons change colour primarily for camouflage: This is a misconception. Chameleons primarily change colour to communicate with other chameleons or to signal their mood, temperature, or to reflect light. Most species can only change between a limited number of colours, and some cannot change at all.

2.  Napoleon was very short: The term "Napoleon Syndrome" suggests he was unusually short, but he was actually of average height for his era. His height was often exaggerated in propaganda.

3.  Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis: There is no scientific evidence to support a link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. While it might lead to minor issues like ligament injury or tendon dislocation in rare cases, it does not cause arthritis.

4.  You lose most of your body heat through your head: This is false. The amount of heat lost from any part of the body depends on its surface area and exposure. You would lose more heat from an exposed arm or leg than from a bare head, proportional to their surface areas.

5.  You can get ill from being cold: Colds and flu are caused by viruses, not by being exposed to cold temperatures. While cold weather might weaken the immune system, it is the presence of the virus that causes the illness.

6.  Chewing gum stays in your stomach for seven years if swallowed: Most chewing gum is indigestible, but it will pass through your digestive system and be excreted within a few days, not years.

7.  Bulls are enraged by the colour red: Bulls are colourblind and cannot distinguish the colour red. They react to the movement of the matador's cape, not its colour.

8.  Shaved hair grows back thicker and darker: Shaving only cuts the hair shaft at its thickest point, making it appear thicker and darker as it grows out. It does not affect the hair follicle or the hair's actual thickness or pigment.

9.  A large percentage of US currency contains coca***: Studies have indeed found that around 90% of US currency contains traces of cocaine, mainly because it binds to the green dye and spreads through money counting machines.

10. Celery is a negative calorie food: Research suggests that you burn more calories digesting celery than it contains, due to its high fibre and water content, making it effectively a negative-calorie food.

11. You must wait an hour after eating before swimming to prevent cramps: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that swimming immediately after a normal-sized meal causes cramps or is dangerous.

12. Birds will abandon their chicks if a human touches them: Most birds have a poor sense of smell and are unlikely to abandon their young simply because a human has touched them. It's generally best to leave baby birds alone unless they are in immediate danger.

13. Humans only use 10% of their brain: This is a persistent neuroscientific myth. Brain imaging studies have shown that humans use virtually all parts of their brain, and most areas are active even during simple tasks.

14. You can see the Great Wall of China from space: This is a common misconception. While extremely long, the wall is too narrow and blends too well with its surroundings to be visible with the naked eye from Earth orbit.

15. Goldfish have a three-second memory: Goldfish actually have a much longer memory and can be trained to perform complex tasks, demonstrating memory spans far exceeding three seconds.

16. Microwaved water can explode: While rare, it is possible for water superheated in a microwave oven to "explode" or flash boil violently when disturbed, due to a lack of nucleation sites.

17. Earth is the only planet not named after a god: This is true in terms of its English name. While other planets are named after Roman or Greek deities, "Earth" comes from Old English and Germanic words for "ground."

18. One human year is seven dog years: This is a simplification. Dogs mature much faster in their early years, reaching the equivalent of about 21 human years by the age of two, and then their aging process slows down.

19. Sitting too close to the TV will make you go blind: Modern televisions emit very low levels of radiation. While staring at a screen for a long time can cause temporary eye strain and fatigue, it does not cause long-term damage or blindness.

20. Different parts of the tongue correspond to different tastes: The "tongue map," which assigns specific areas of the tongue to tastes like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, is a long-debunked myth. All taste buds can detect all tastes, though some areas may be slightly more sensitive.

21. Children get a sugar rush after eating sweets: Numerous studies have failed to find a direct link between sugar intake and hyperactivity or behavioural changes in children. Other factors, such as excitement or the environment, are more likely culprits.

22. Bats are blind and rely solely on sonar: Bats are not blind. They have eyes and can see, though their vision is often adapted for low-light conditions. They primarily use echolocation (sonar) for navigation and hunting in darkness.

23. Waking a sleepwalker will cause them harm: While waking a sleepwalker might startle or confuse them, it will not cause them physical or mental harm, such as a heart attack or brain damage. It's generally safer to gently guide them back to bed.

24. Cutting a worm in half creates two worms: This is generally false for most worms. While some species have remarkable regenerative abilities, cutting most worms in half will typically result in two dead halves, not two living worms.

25. Humans evolved from apes: Humans and modern apes share a common ancestor from millions of years ago, but humans did not evolve directly from any currently living ape species. We share a common evolutionary branch.

25 Bizarre Facts That Not Many People Know

Here are 25 bizarre facts that not many people know or usually come across:

1.  All Froot Loops are the same flavour: Despite their different colours, all Froot Loops cereals taste exactly the same.

2.  Using someone else's Netflix account can be a federal crime in the U.S.: While rarely prosecuted for casual sharing, a 2016 federal court ruling clarified that sharing passwords under certain circumstances (especially for commercial gain or to access protected information) could violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

3.  Bees can be trained to detect bombs and landmines: Bees have an exceptional sense of smell and can be trained using classical conditioning to detect various odours, including those from explosives.

4.  Ancient Greeks and Romans used spider webs as bandages: Historically, spider webs were applied to wounds to help stop bleeding and promote healing, as they contain antiseptic and antifungal properties.

5.  Cotton candy was invented by a dentist: William Morrison, a dentist, co-invented the first electric machine to make what was then called "Fairy Floss" in 1897.

6.  A single cloud can weigh over a million pounds: A cumulus cloud, a common type, can contain hundreds of tons of water droplets, easily exceeding a million pounds.

7.  Your actual brain cannot feel pain: The brain itself does not have pain receptors. Headaches originate from the surrounding tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. This is why brain surgery can be performed on conscious patients.

8.  Humans cannot walk in a straight line when blindfolded: When deprived of visual cues, people tend to drift and walk in circles, often without realising it.

9.  Antarctica is the only continent without any reptiles or snakes: The extremely cold and harsh conditions of Antarctica make it unsuitable for cold-blooded animals like reptiles to survive.

10. Chameleons change colour based on their mood or to communicate, not primarily for camouflage: This is a reiteration from the myths section, but it's also a bizarre fact that their primary use of colour change is social signaling, not just blending in.

11. Identical twins do not have the same fingerprints: While identical twins share nearly identical DNA, their fingerprints are formed by environmental factors in the womb and vary, even between them.

12. Your brain is constantly "eating itself" through a process called phagocytosis: Microglial cells in the brain act as its immune system, "pruning" unused synapses and clearing cellular debris, a process essential for brain health and learning.

13. The largest fossilised dinosaur poo discovered is over 30cm long: Known as a coprolite, this record-breaking fossilised faeces provides insights into the diet of ancient dinosaurs.

14. Wearing a tie can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5%: Studies have shown that tight neckties can restrict blood flow through the jugular veins, potentially impacting cognitive function.

15. Most ginger cats are male: The gene for ginger fur colour is located on the X chromosome. Because males only have one X chromosome (XY), they are more likely to inherit and express the ginger colour than females (XX), who need two copies of the gene. The ratio is roughly three males to one female.

16. The raw ingredients of a human body would cost over £116,000, but if refined yourself, it could be under £100: This fact highlights the difference between the elemental cost of the components of a human body and the cost of synthetically producing and combining them.

17. Lego sets have outperformed the stock market: Between 1987 and 2015, rare Lego sets averaged an 11% return per year, surpassing the average return of the S&P 500.

18. Your brain blocks out your nose from your vision: Your brain constantly filters out your nose from your field of vision, although you can consciously focus on it if you try.

19. In Slovakia, it's a Christmas tradition to keep a live carp in the bathtub: For a few days before Christmas Eve dinner, families in Slovakia often keep a live carp in their bathtub, believing it helps to clean the fish and make its meat taste better.

20. The Boston Marathon didn't officially allow female runners until 1972: Despite women unofficially running earlier, it wasn't until 1972 that female athletes were officially permitted to compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon.

21. Singing in the shower can burn around 136 calories per hour: While perhaps not a strenuous workout, singing and moving in the shower can contribute to calorie expenditure, estimated at around 136 calories for an hour of enthusiastic performance.

22. Iguanas have a "third eye" on top of their skull: This "parietal eye" is not a true eye with full vision but a photosensitive organ that helps them detect changes in light, enabling them to sense predators from above.

23. X-rays were once used in the 1940s and 50s to fit shoes: A device called the Branic shoe-fitting fluoroscope used X-rays to allow customers and sales clerks to see the bones of the foot inside a new shoe, a practice later discontinued due to radiation risks.

24. Honey never spoils if stored correctly: Due to its low water content, high acidity, and the presence of hydrogen peroxide, honey is an incredibly stable food that can remain edible for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found perfectly preserved honey in ancient Egyptian tombs.

25. Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood: Two hearts pump blood through the gills, while the third circulates it to the rest of the body. Their blood is blue because it uses haemocyanin, a copper-rich protein, to transport oxygen, unlike human haemoglobin which uses iron.