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You’ve probably heard some of the most popular myths
around and may even believe some of them. For example, did you know that
fortune cookies are not a Chinese tradition, rather they are a
Japanese-American tradition that was adopted by the Chinese. Or how
about the popular myth that cell phones cause cancer (they don’t). From
sugar causing hyperactivity to dogs sweating through their saliva, these
are the some Popular Myths That Might Have You Fooled!
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Caffeine dehydrates you - No, it doesn’t. Although it has a slight
diuretic effect, this is not significant enough to dehydrate.
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Cell phones cause cancer - There is no evidence that radiofrequency
exposure is capable of causing DNA damage the way ionizing radiation
does.
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The moon has a dark side - It has a far
side, but not a dark side. This means that although the far side remains
positioned away from Earth, it is still exposed to the sun all the same.
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Vitamin C cures colds - Vitamin C certainly helps you stay healthy but
it won’t cure your cold any more than brushing your teeth will fix your
cavities.
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Shaving hair makes it grow back quicker and thicker - When you shave
your hair it will have a blunt tip. This makes it feel more stubby and
coarse which likely led to the myth that it grows back faster as well.
If you could measure its growth rate, however, you would see that it
doesn’t. Furthermore, it lost its tapered end so now it appears to be
thicker.
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Not wearing a jacket when it is cold outside will make you sick - First
of all, colds and flus are caused by viruses. The thing about viruses is
that temperature does not affect their likelihood of circulation or your
body’s ability to resist them. The fact is that you are more likely to
catch a bug indoors if only because of more proximity to others.
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Wet hair definitely makes you more likely to be sick - Wrong again. As
we said, the external temperature has no effect on your body’s ability
to resist viruses. Even though it may be cold outside, your body still
maintains an internal temperature of 37 degrees celsius. If your body
temperature drops even a couple degrees you will become hypothermic. At
this point a flu is the least of your worries.
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Sugar causes hyperactivity in children - Numerous studies have shown
that it doesn’t. To give you an example, when parents are led to believe
that their children are consuming sugar during studies (even though it
is only a placebo) they consistently report higher levels of activity in
the child.
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Each side of your brain does something different - False, their is no
clear division of talents. Each side can potentially be responsible for
anything.
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MSG causes headaches - There is no scientific proof of
this, only anecdotal evidence.
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You sense different tastes on different parts of your
tongue - You actually sense all the tastes on all parts of your tongue.
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You have to wait 24 hours to report a missing person -
This is dangerously false. You can report a missing person at any point.
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Salt makes water boil faster - Although chefs
everywhere seem to swear by it, this is scientifically impossible. Salt
raises the boiling point of water, which means that it actually takes
longer to boil! |