Most myths have a hint of truth or common sense to them.
Since they sound like they should be true, few people think to question or verify the
accuracy of the myth.
Here however are 10 common myths that have been debunked.
It’s a lovely day at the beach.
That is until your friend starts splashing and screaming.
They’ve been stung by a jellyfish.
You help them out of the water.
As they lay on the sand trying not to cry from the pain, you stand over them and pull
down your board shorts….Stop right there.
We’re putting an end to this gross myth for once and for all.
10.
Peeing on a jellyfish sting stops the stinging.
Peeing on a jellyfish sting does not stop the stinging.
Actually, urine can worsen symptoms by aggravating the stinging cells the jellyfish left behind
on the victim’s skin and causing them to release more venom.
Rinsing the sting area with vinegar will greatly lessen the pain.
Then use tweezers to remove any tentacles.
Then the sting area should be soaked in hot water.
If there’s no vinegar handy, rinsing a jellyfish sting with sea water is better than nothing,
but stay away from using urine.
Our next myth is scientifically impossible, but you may have heard it from your mom or
grandma.
9.
Don’t go outside with wet hair, you’ll catch a cold.
It’s simply not true; colds are caused by viruses, which are transmitted through exposure
to virus-causing germs which often spread through bodily fluids.
Sick people sneezing, coughing and spitting releases respiratory droplets into the air
and they may end up on surfaces.
Touching surfaces that are teeming with virus-causing germs, and then touching your mouth, or nose
transfers the germs into your system.
We still don’t suggest going out into the cold with wet hair though.
Not only can it be uncomfortable, it’s actually bad for your hair.
Hair is more fragile when wet and cold weather can exacerbate hair breakage.
Water molecules which have penetrated the hair shaft will expand as they freeze, which
can cause the hair to stiffen and snap.
Freezing water molecules also lift the cuticle and leave hair exposed to environmental damage.
Some of us have tried myth number 8 equally fascinated and horrified at the possibility
of it actually working.
8.
A penny dropped off a skyscraper can kill a person below.
Several different groups have done experiments testing this myth; it’s simply not true.
Pennies and in fact all coins are aerodynamically unstable and tumble as they fall.
The flat surface of a coin is conducive for air pushing up on it, which limits acceleration.
Pennies fall to the ground at approximately 25 mph.
Being hit by a penny dropped from a skyscraper feels like being hit by a casually tossed
pebble.
An ordinary item actually dangerous to drop off a skyscraper is a metal ballpoint pen
with a shirt clip.
The clip acts like the fletching on an arrow and keeps the pen pointed down.
The aerodynamics of the pen can cause it to ac­celerate to around 190 mph.
When the pen hits, it slams into a small area with a lot of momentum.
It could quite possibly punch a hole in a human head.
Myth number 7 only seems true because of the physical discomfort that can occur if you
disobey the myth.
7.
Wait at least 30 minutes to go for a swim after eating.
Supposedly after eating, the blood diverted to your digestive tracts steals the blood
needed to keep your arms and legs pumping during swimming, making you more likely to
drown.
Your body does supply more blood into your digestive system after eating to process a
meal, however it’s not enough blood that it could prevent your arms and legs from functioning
properly.
So, no you don’t need to wait before going for a swim.
However it is possible to get cramps, especially if you swim when you’re very full.
Our next myth is semi true, but not for the reason people think.
6.
Chameleons change color to camouflage themselves and hide from predators.
Most chameleons are born with skin that mimics the colors and details of their native habitat,
so they have a tendency to blend in.
Chameleons do actually change colors, but generally it’s to maintain a comfortable
body temperature as they cannot generate their own body heat.
So a cold chameleon may become dark to absorb more heat.
A too hot chameleon may turn pale to better reflect the sun’s rays.
Chameleons also alter their coloring to communicate with other chameleons.
Males may become bright to signal their dominance.
To signal ownership of territory or while fighting for a mate, male chameleons may turn
dark.
Females can let males know that they’re ready to mate by altering their coloring.
Some chameleon owners learn to read their pet's mood based on the color of its skin.
However, videos or images that show chameleons changing colors as they encounter different
surfaces or changing colors to match patterns such as a chess board are fake.
We’re not sure how our next myth got started, but fish are a lot smarter than humans think
they are.
5.
Fish, especially goldfish only have a 3 second memory.
Of course goldfish look bored swimming around a tiny bowl!
Wouldn’t you?
Studies by scientists suggest that goldfish and other fish have memories that last much
longer than 3 seconds--they have memories of around 5 months.
During one study, scientists spent a month training young fish in captivity to associate
a certain sound with feeding time.
Then the fish were released into the wild.
Some five months later, the scientist played the sound and the now adult fish showed up
looking for food, having remembered the sound.
Other experiments have been done with training goldfish to complete obstacles courses or
associate a certain color with food.
A bonus myth about goldfish.
- Goldfish can be kept in bowls.
Actually no fish should be kept in a small bowl without filtration or aeration systems.
If you do so, you shorten the life of the fish and the size that they will grow to.
When healthy and having access to good water quality and space, a goldfish never stops
growing.
That’s why in the wild, a common goldfish is capable of growing to 10 pounds (453 grams).
We were rather disappointed to find out that our next myth isn’t true because an animal
that could shoot stingers from its butt would be awesome.
5.
Porcupines can shoot their quills long distances.
Sadly this myth is an exaggeration of a porcupine’s powers.
The North American porcupine has about 30,000 quills, each one adorned with between 700
and 800 barbs along the 4 millimeters (.16 inches) nearest its tip.
These barbs help quills remain embedded in a victim’s skin.
However, the quills are not shot, a victim must come into contact with the porcupine
for the quills to be released.
As the quills easily detach and the barbs help it stick in your flesh, it’s still
not in your best interest to go near a porcupine.
We’re glad to find out that myth number 4 isn’t true.
4.
Humans swallow 8-10 spiders a year while sleeping.
While it’s possible to eat a spider while sleeping--especially if you sleep with your
mouth open, it’s unlikely.
Spiders have no interest in humans.
When they spin a web and take up residence in your home, it isn’t because they’re
craving human company.
In North America there are 3 or 4 species of spider that are most likely to invade your
home and they do so because they’ve found a safe spot that they feel has great potential
for catching prey.
When spiders go exploring or hunting for food, they’re unlikely to crawl into bed with
humans.
An important part of a spider’s sensory data is vibrations.
Humans give off plenty of them while they sleep via heartbeat and breathing.
Spiders are far more interested in avoiding the huge vibrating lump rather than exploring
it.
If you sleep with your mouth open, you’re liking snoring which gives the spider yet
another reason to avoid you.
Finally, if something crawls on your face, chances are you’ll feel it and wake up before
it reaches your mouth.
Countless crime drama TV shows are responsible for our next myth.
It's often used as a dramatic plot device, but it’s wrong.
3.
You must wait at least 24 hours before filing a missing person’s report.
You don’t need to wait 24 hours to find a missing person’s report.
In fact, there’s no time period anyone must wait before reporting a person missing.
The sooner you notify the police the better.
Taking action within the first 48 hours is often vital to locating and bringing a missing
person home safely.
Speaking of police, myth number 2 is a little far farfetched, but probably rooted in the
fact that police are seen as heroic and having to follow a particular moral code since they
enforce the law.
2.
In the US, undercover police have to disclose that they are police if you ask.
Utterly false.
The point of an undercover cop is to gather data to build a case against an individual
or organization for criminal behavior.
This process involves a lot of resources--money, labor, surveillance.
No way is an undercover officer going to tell you that they are a cop if it could jeopardize
the operation.
In fact strategic lying is specifically a part of going undercover.
Sometimes an undercover law enforcement officer will commit illegal activity to reinforce
their cover identity and prove that they are definitely not a cop.
An undercover cop participating in illegal activity with you or encouraging you to perform
illegal activity is not considered entrapment.
Entrapment only occurs when an officer gets someone to commit a crime they had no intention
of committing or wouldn’t likely normally commit.
For example if an undercover cop convinced a nonviolent criminal who has a record of
shoplifting to help with an armed robbery.
Otherwise undercover cops are free to lie about whether they are a cop and just about
anything else.
Our final myth highlights a dilemma nearly everyone in the world has experienced at some
point.
1.
The five second rule.
- It’s safe to eat food that’s been on the floor for five seconds or less.
Obviously, this myth is dependent on the what and where.
If you drop the cheese sauce covered nachos you just purchased on the floor of the convenience
store, it’s better if you let them go.
But what if you drop a cookie on your regularly cleaned kitchen floor, is the 5 second rule
true?
If you choose to snatch the cookie up and eat it, you’re in good company.
In a survey of 2,000 people, 79% or 1400 admitted to eating food that had fallen on the floor.
We’d actually call this myth inconclusive.
There have been many experiments done to determine how true this myth is.
In addition to how moist the surface of the dropped food item is, how dirty the floor
is and the length of time the food is on the floor, the type of floor surprisingly made
a big impact as to how dirty the dropped food got.
Researchers discovered that carpet has a low transfer rate while ceramic tile, wood and
stainless steel flooring have much higher transfer rates.
But no matter how quickly you snatch it up, once any food item comes into contact with
a surface, it will pick up some type of bacteria.
Sure you can brush off any visible dust, but unfortunately, it’s not possible to sanitize
dropped food.
This occurs even when the floor is clean.
No matter how clean a floor is, it still has bacteria.
Chances are a floor cookie isn’t going to kill you, or even make you sick, but you are
playing russian roulette with eating some gross germs.
And now that you've reached the end of our video, why not keep the watch party going?!
It’s a myth that we use only 10% of our brain.
We actually use 100%, but different areas activate at different times.
What if you used 100% of your brain at the same time?
Click here to find out:
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