20 Common Myths Completely Busted

Busting Myths

A myth by definition is “a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events”. Most people have not actually seen or experienced the myth but still think to be true. There are two things in life that don’t lie, numbers and science. As science has advanced throughout the years more and more of these myths have been busted. Here are 20 common myths completely busted.

1. Bulls hate the color red.

Bulls are actually color blind and they are not attracted to the color red. They react to the movement of the bull fighter’s cloth which is seen as a threat.

2. Never wake up sleep walkers.

Nothing happens if you wake up a sleep walker other than the person being really confused. Sleep walkers are more likely to hurt themselves if not awakened.

3. Goldfish have a 3 second memory.

Goldfish have been proven to have a memory span of over 3 months. So be careful what you do to your goldfish.

4. Napoleon was a short man.

Standing at 5′ 7” he was above average height for a french man of his time.

5. Walt Disney drew Mickey Mouse.

Wrong! Walt Disney was never a great artist. It was Ub Iwerks his number one animator who drew and animated Mickey Mouse.

6. The pyramids were built by slaves.

It was employees of the pharaoh who built the pyramids. Excavators have found skeletons of local workers and inscriptions show they were proud of their work.

7. Albert Einstein failed math.

He never failed math. As a matter of fact by the age of 15 he had mastered differential and integral calculus. Albert Einstein was always top of his class.

8. Humans have five senses.

We actually have close to 20 senses including pain, hunger, thirst, balance, etc.

9. Undercover cops have to identify themselves.

Pure hollywood fantasy, undercover cops are not required to identify themselves. Even if you ask them they don’t have to.

10. Humans and dinosaurs coexisted.

Humans and dinosaurs missed each other for about 63 million years. Not close enough.

11. Shaving makes hair thicker.

Hair never regrows thicker. It looks that way since shaving gives it a blunt tip.

12. Glass is a liquid.

Glass is actually a amorphous solid. This type of solid also includes plastic and gel.

13. Caffeine dehydrates you.

The diuretic effect of caffeine is completely offset by the amount of water caffeinated drinks contain.

14. 7 years to digest a piece of gum.

The body cannot digest gum therefore it passes right through. Any remainder is absorbed.

15. Dropping a coin from a building can kill a person.

The coin does not catch enough velocity to even penetrate human skin.

16. Five second rule when dropping food.

The amount of bacteria found on the food dropped doesn’t change from 1 seconds to 6 seconds. Just pick it up and eat it.

17. Don’t eat and swim.

Swimming on a full stomach will not give you cramps or kill you. It can however make you short of breath.

18. Alcohol keeps you warm.

Alcohol dilates blood vessels near the skin giving you the impression of warmth. It does actually drop your core body temperature.

19. Vikings used horned helmets.

The horned helmets were created as a costume for a 19th century opera.

20. Dogs sweat by salivating.

Dogs regulate body temperature by panting. They actually sweat through their footpads.