Myths You Always Believed That Are Actually 100% False
- 11,131 VOTES
Chameleons Change Color To Hide
Photo: B.navez / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Most people assume that chameleons change color as a natural camouflage, allowing them to hide from predators by blending in with their surroundings. However, that is not the real reason why the reptile changes colors.
Chameleons will turn a different shade to alert other chameleons in the area of danger, or to communicate with them. Most species can only swap between a limited number of colors, and some chameleons cannot change at all.
- 21,132 VOTES
Kids Get A Sugar Rush After Eating Candy
Photo: Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL / pxhere / Public DomainDespite what millions of parents around the world believe, sugar rushes in children are just not a thing that actually happens. While there is a commonly held belief that kids who eat a lot of sugar will become hyperactive and misbehave, there is actually no evidence to support this claim.
Studies have shown that the body doesn’t get extra bursts of energy from ingesting large amounts of sugar in a short span of time, since the biological processes involved are highly regulated. The myth is perpetrated because parents need something to blame their children's erratic behavior on, other than, you know, the way they were raised...
- 31,107 VOTES
Chicks Will be Abandoned By Their Mothers If Picked Up By A Person
Photo: Kati Fleming / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Children are often taught not to pick up baby birds, as it is said that the mother will be able to detect the scent of the person and will then leave the chick to die. Although you probably shouldn’t pick up every tiny bird that you see, picking one up will not condemn the animal to death.
Birds develop very strong bonds with their young, and are unlikely to leave them unattended for any reason. Besides, most birds don’t have a strong sense of smell, so they probably wouldn't even notice the addition of a foreign scent.
- 4954 VOTES
Napoleon Was Really Short
Photo: Andrea Appiani / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe belief that Napoleon was short has become so ingrained in the public consciousness that the term "Napoleon Syndrome" is commonly used to describe someone who is angry about being short. In truth, however, the French emperor was not particularly small in stature.
Standing at just over five and a half feet, he was actually taller than the average Frenchman at the time. There are a couple reasons why the myth may have become widespread: Firstly, his enemies may have propagated rumors to make him seem less imposing. Secondly, Napoleon would select very tall soldiers to serve in his personal guard, which might have made him appear shorter than he really was.
- 5967 VOTES
Different Parts Of The Tongue Correspond To Different Tastes
Photo: George Hodan / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe tongue map was something that many people were taught while in school. It proposed that different areas of the tongue were used to detect distinctive tastes such as sweet and sour.
Even though the diagram was proven false decades ago, a significant number of people continue to believe the myth. The truth is that the tongue is covered in receptors, all of which are capable of detecting various tastes. No one part of the tongue is used specifically for certain tastes.
- 6950 VOTES
Humans Only Have Five Senses
One of the most widely believed myths is that people only have five senses. It is taught to children in school, and has been implanted into the psyche of the public.
The truth is far more complicated. Adding to the usual list of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell, researchers argue that there could be as many as 14 senses in total. These include the ability to sense where your body parts are (even when your eyes are closed), as well as the ability to distinguish between different temperatures.
- 7925 VOTES
Swimming After Eating Food Will Cause Cramps
Photo: Juan Salamanca / Pexels / Public DomainA general rule that many people have followed well into adulthood is that you should never swim just after eating food. The reasoning is that doing so increases chance of cramps, which could potentially lead to drowning.
After consuming food, people often wait up to an hour to return to the pool or ocean. The only problem is that there is no evidence that suggests swimming just after eating causes cramps. On the contrary, there is such little risk that professional endurance swimmers will even eat while in the water.
- 8845 VOTES
Bats Are Blind And Rely Solely On Sonar
Photo: Anton 17 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0The belief that bats are completely blind has become so widespread that the saying “blind as a bat” is common throughout the English-speaking world. This rumor was probably spawned from the understanding that bats use sonar to navigate in the dark.
Despite having sophisticated sonar systems, no species of bat is completely blind. On the contrary, many have excellent eyesight and rely on other senses to complement their vision, rather than replace it.
- 9787 VOTES
Waking A Sleepwalker Will Cause Them Harm
Photo: Ron Cogswell / via Flickr / CC BY 2.0Sleepwalking can be a strange experience, but it's not inherently dangerous. However, many people believe that waking a sleepwalking person can cause them significant harm; they might even die from shock.
The various studies that have examined sleepwalking have never recorded an instance of someone experiencing physical harm as a result of being awoken. A sleepwalker may become distressed or confused for a short amount of time, but never suffers any actual injury. Sometimes it may even be necessary to wake someone up to prevent them from injuring themselves.
- 10883 VOTES
Bulls Become Enraged By The Color Red
Photo: Manuel González Olaechea y Franco / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0The common consensus is that bulls charge at matadors because they become enraged by the color red. Not only is this myth untrue, it's physically impossible. Bulls are actually color-blind to red, meaning that they cannot distinguish between it and other shades.
When the animal charges at whatever's in the ring, it is doing so because it is attracted to the movements of the cape and matador, rather than the color.
- 11809 VOTES
You Can See The Great Wall of China From Space
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Out of all the man-made objects on Earth, the one that is most commonly said to visible from space is the Great Wall of China. Some even claim that you can see the structure from the moon.
In truth, the structure only remains in view for people who are in very low orbit, just outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, and ideal weather is required. Past 100 miles up, the wall becomes almost invisible, as the building materials used to construct it blend in with the surroundings. Neil Armstrong has also confirmed that he could not make out any man-made structures from the surface of the moon.
- 12784 VOTES
Cutting A Worm In Half Creates Two Worms
Photo: Rob Hille / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0One thing that most children believe is that cutting an earthworm in half will result in the creation of two separate worms. The evidence comes from the fact that both ends seem to continue to live after the bisection.
Contrary to this belief, cutting an earthworm will never create two worms. Instead, the half that contains the mouth may be able to survive and heal itself. The other end will simply die, as it does not have any of the organs necessary to survive.
- 13759 VOTES
People Only Use 10% Of Their Brain
Photo: Keating, Steven / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0A lack of understanding about how the brain works has led to the widespread myth that humans are only using around 10% of their brain at any given time. This mistaken belief has also been used to provide evidence for those who claim to have extrasensory or paranormal abilities; the reasoning being that these people can harness more of their brainpower.
Although it isn’t clear where this myth came from, it has been demonstrated false through a variety of studies. In truth, the entire brain is constantly active, with different regions focused on carrying out different tasks. Despite what Bradley Cooper wants you to believe, all our neurons are constantly in use.
- 14821 VOTES
Humans Evolved From Apes
Photo: Hans Hillewaert / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Thanks in part to a poor understanding of evolution, many people believe that humans descended directly from apes. This often leads some to wonder why all of the great apes have not evolved into human-like creatures.
The actual process saw humans and apes evolve from a common ancestor, which later diversified into several different species, creating chimpanzees, gorillas, and humans.
- 15690 VOTES
Albert Einstein Flunked Math
Photo: Orren Jack Turner / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainAs one of the world's most important scientists, Albert Einstein is often considered to be one of the most intelligent people of the last century. The fact that he may have failed math class in school might seem unthinkable, yet it is a myth that has persisted.
Despite the common belief, Einstein never flunked math. He directly addressed the rumors during his lifetime, stating that he had self-taught himself many difficult math disciplines and had mastered calculus by the age of 15. Turns out he actually was pretty conventionally smart, sorry.
