It’s often unclear how myths are started, but one thing’s for sure, people love them.
They share these myths as if they’re facts, without ever verifying them. On this episode
of The Infographics Show, we debunk 43 very popular myths.
1. MSG often linked to Chinese Restaurants has a widespread reputation for triggering
migraine headache, but there are no consistent data to support claim.
2. Sushi does not mean "raw fish", and not all sushi includes fish. The name sushi refers
to any dish that includes vinegared rice.
3. The Twinkie does not have an infinite shelf life; its listed shelf life is approximately
45 days and generally remains on a store shelf for only 7 to 10 days.
4. Fortune cookies are extremely rare in China and are seen as a symbol of American culture.
Fortune cookies were in fact invented and brought to the U.S. by the Japanese.
5. It is not true that you have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report.
6. Frankenstein was not the name of the monster in the novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern
Prometheus by Mary Shelley; rather it was the surname of the monster's creator, Victor
Frankenstein.
7. The forbidden fruit mentioned in the Book of Genesis is commonly assumed to be an apple,
and is widely depicted as such in Western art. However, the Bible does not identify
what type of fruit it is. The original Hebrew texts mention only tree and fruit.
8. There is no evidence that Jesus was born on December 25. The Bible never claims a date
of December 25, but may imply a date closer to September.
9. The black belt in martial arts does not necessarily indicate expert level or mastery.
It was introduced for judo in the 1880s to indicate competency of all the basic techniques
of the sport.
10. In ancient Rome, the architectural feature called a vomitorium was the entranceway through
which crowds entered and exited a stadium, not a special room used for purging food during
meals.
11. Chastity belts were not designed to prevent women from having sexual intercourse. They
were used as anti-masturbatory devices due to a widespread belief that masturbation could
lead to insanity.
12. The accused at the Salem witch trials were not burned at the stake; about 15 died
in prison, 19 were hanged and one was pressed to death.
13. Napoleon Bonaparte (pictured) was not short; rather he was slightly taller than
the average Frenchman of his time (5’ 7” 1.69m)
14. The popular image of Santa Claus was not created by The Coca-Cola Company as an advertising
gimmick; by the time Coca-Cola began using Santa Claus's image in the 1930s, Santa Claus
had already taken his modern form in popular culture.
15, There was no widespread outbreak of panic across the United States in response to Orson
Welles' 1938 radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. Only a very small share
of the radio audience was even listening to it, and isolated reports of scattered incidents
and increased call volume to emergency services were played up the next day by newspapers,
eager to discredit radio as a competitor for advertising.
16. Albert Einstein did not fail mathematics in school. He did however fail the entrance
exam in to a school on his first attempt, although he was two years younger than his
fellow students.
17. The Great Wall of China CANNOT be seen from space.
18. Bulls are not enraged by the color red. They actually react to the motions of the
bullfighter’s cloth.
19. Dogs don’t sweat by salivating. They sweat mainly through their footpads.
20. Not only are bats not blind, they are also capable of navigating using echolocation.
21. Goldfish do not have a memory span of a few seconds. They can actually remember
things for a few months.
22. Humans and dinosaurs (other than birds) never coexisted. The two missed each other
by 63 million years.
23. Eating less than an hour before swimming does not increase the risk of experiencing
muscle cramps or drowning.
24. Human blood in veins is not actually blue. In fact, blood is always red due to hemoglobin.
Deoxygenated blood has a deep red color, and oxygenated blood has a light cherry-red color.
25. Shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker or coarser or darker.
26. Hair and fingernails do not continue to grow after a person dies. Rather, the skin
dries and shrinks away from the bases of hairs and nails, giving the appearance of growth
27. Sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children. Double-blind trials have shown no
difference in behavior between children given sugar-full or sugar-free diets.
28. Swallowed chewing gum does not take seven years to digest. In fact, chewing gum is mostly
indigestible, and passes through the digestive system at the same rate as other matter.
29. There is no physiological basis for the belief that having sex in the days leading
up to a sporting event or contest is detrimental to performance. In fact it has been suggested
that sex prior to sports activity can elevate the levels of testosterone in males, which
could potentially enhance their performance.
30. Cracking your knuckles will not cause arthritis.
31. There is no reason that lightning would not be able to strike the same place twice;
if there is a thunderstorm in a given area, then objects and places which are more prominent
or conductive (and therefore minimize distance) are more likely to be struck.
32. A penny dropped from the Empire State Building will not kill a person or crack the
sidewalk. It will, however, hurt.
33. Toilet waste is never intentionally released from an aircraft. All waste is collected in
tanks which are emptied on the ground by toilet waste vehicles.
34. Searing meat does not seal in moisture. It is done for the flavor.
35. Sharks can get cancer; particularly skin cancer.
36. Houseflies don’t live for 24 hours. They live for about a month.
37. Bananas don’t grow on trees. They actually grow on massive herbs that resemble trees.
38. Only in infants is most heat lost through the head.
39. Humans have 20 senses, including balance, pain, movement, hunger, thirst, etc.
40. Coffee does not dehydrate you. The diuretic effect of caffeine is offset by the amount
of water in the caffeinated drink.
41. Vaccines don’t cause autism. The fears are based on fraudulent research that’s
been shown to have been manipulated.
42. Adding salt to water will not make it boil faster.
43. Vikings horned helmets were actually created by a costume designer for a 19th century Wagner
opera.
If you disagree with any of the debunked myths, let us know in the comments! And, as always,
don’t forget to click like and subscribe to our channel.
Subtitles by the Amara.org community