As we grow up and even in adulthood, we hear all kinds of things that lots of people just take as truth. Sometimes these things sound pretty questionable, but so many people believe them that it’s tempting to just assume they’re real. In reality, a lot of them aren’t. Here are 15 myths many people believe that simply aren’t true.
1. Toilet Seats Are Full of Germs
It’s obvious when a toilet seat is filthy, but when one appears clean, it’s probably because it was recently cleaned and disinfected. Guess what usually has 10 times more germs on it than a toilet seat? A cell phone.
2. Alcohol Warms the Body
Sipping some whiskey when it’s cold can produce a burning sensation, but it’s not actually warming your body. Actually, the dilation of blood vessels caused by alcohol lowers your core temperature.
3. Most Loss of Body Heat Is Through the Head
You might have been told this by your parents when they wanted you to put a hat on. It’s true that you can lose body heat through your head, but it’s also true that you don’t lose much more than you would from any other exposed body part.
4. Cracking Your Knuckles Will Cause Arthritis
Many people find the sound of knuckles cracking annoying, and that might have been the origin of this myth. It’s not true, though, but people sometimes have injured themselves doing this.
5. Swimming After Eating Is Bad for You
If you swim right after a meal, your arms and legs will cramp up, and you’ll drown, right? Wrong. The body does use extra blood to aid in digestion, but it’s not enough to keep limbs from functioning.
6. Gum in Your Stomach Stays There for 7 Years
A parent, teacher, or maybe even a classmate told you this. It’s not true. The intent was probably to deter you from chewing gum. Judging from all the gum stuck to floors and under desks, something else happened.
7. Sitting Too Close to the TV Will Hurt Your Eyes
Being close to a screen can fatigue your eyes, which can blur your vision. However, there’s no evidence that it causes long-term harm. Sometimes, when someone sits too close to a TV, it’s a sign of myopia that’s being missed.
8. Sugar Makes You Hyper
A breakfast high in sugar can lead to a deterioration in attention span when compared to a breakfast with whole grains or even no breakfast at all. However, there’s no science supporting the notion that sugar causes hyperactivity.
9. Wet Hair on a Cold Day Will Make You Get Sick
If you go outside on a cold day and your hair is wet, that doesn’t mean you’ll catch a cold. It’s a virus that transmits the cold, and that gets inside you through your mouth or nose.
10. Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal
There’s no doubt that a nutritious breakfast helps you start the day well, but every meal is equally important. Skip one, especially dinner, and see how you feel.
11. The Color Red Makes Bulls Angry
In bullfights, matadors wave a red cape in front of bulls, and the bright color supposedly makes them angry. The truth is that bulls are red-green colorblind and that it’s the movement of the cape that agitates them.
12. George Washington Had Wooden Teeth
America’s first president did have dentures. However, they were made of ivory, gold, lead, and even other human teeth. Ivory becomes stained over time, giving it a wood-like appearance.
13. Before Christopher Columbus, Everyone Thought the Earth Was Flat
It’s true that for a long time, most people believed the world was flat, but Columbus wasn’t the first to question it. The Greek philosopher Aristotle declared more than 2,500 years ago that the Earth was a sphere, and some historians say that very few educated people since then have believed the world was flat.
14. Dog’s Can’t See in Color
The notion that dogs only see in black-and-white is false. They don’t see the full range of colors that we do, but they can distinguish between some colors.
15. If You Drop a Penny from the Top of the Empire State Building, It Will Kill Someone
This thought has probably terrified many people walking beneath skyscrapers. However, a penny is too small and flat to pick up the momentum needed to kill someone it strikes. If a penny falling from the top of a skyscraper did hit you, it would feel more like a flick to the forehead.
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Could You Have Done What Lewis and Clark Did? Probably Not and Here’s Why
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10 Places You Should Never Use Your Debit Card
Debit cards are a convenient way to pay for things without carrying a lot of cash around and without piling up credit card debt. However, debit cards can place you more at risk of identity theft and fraud. That’s because most debit cards don’t come with the same protections major credit cards do. If someone hacks your debit card, they can drain real money from your personal account, and that money might be gone for good.
Here are some places where it’s safer for you to use a credit card than a debit card.
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This article was produced and syndicated by Our Woven Journey. Featured Image Credit: LightField Studios/Shutterstock
Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.