As you grow up you are told many things in life but little do you know that these facts or statements like "wear a hat so you don't catch a cold!" are all little lies. Although, they may have been told out of the goodness of peoples hearts the truth is we believe so many things just because so many people agree with it or say it, but we never question if what they are saying is actually true. The following are widely known phenomenons that many believe to be true, today I will reveal why they are in fact false.
Myth #10: You lose most of your body heat through your head (40-45%).
Myth #10: You lose most of your body heat through your head (40-45%).
We have all tried leaving the house in the winter only to get stopped and told to put on a winter hat with the following nagging response of "most of your body heat comes from your head, you don't want to catch a cold do you??". Don't get me wrong a nice cozy hat may be a good idea to wear in the winter, but you don't have to worry about losing all your body heat because you simply "forgot" your hat at home. Not to worry, scientist have debunked the myth and proved that the only reason for there being a substantial amount of body heat lost through the head is because it is the only part of your body revealed, where as if you stood out in the cold with only your swim suit on you would lose no more than 10% of your body heat through your head. (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/dec/17/medicalresearch-humanbehaviour)
Myth #9: Sugar makes children hyperactive.
Myth #9: Sugar makes children hyperactive.
We all know the number one rule, never feed a kid too much sugar or they'll go crazy, but what we didn't know was that that is indeed a myth. Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll from the centre of health policy at Indiana University in Indianapolis stated that "at least a dozen high-quality studies have investigated the possibility of a link between children's behaviour and sugar intake, but none has found any difference between children who consumed a lot and those who did not. The belief has appeared to be a figment of parents' imaginations." Not only have parents been depriving children of sugar and sweets because of this myth but this rule has been followed generation after generation without the realization that it is false. So in conclusion your kid isn't hyper because of sugar, they are just hyper because they are a kid. (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/dec/17/medicalresearch-humanbehaviour)
Myth #8: We only use 10% of our brain.
Myth #8: We only use 10% of our brain.
I've always heard the myth of how humans cannot fulfil their intellectual potential and are only able to access 10% of their brain. Recently the new movie "Lucy" came out using the myth of only using 10% of the brain as the main plot which has caused many people to believe that it is true. Sources confirmed that many parts of the brain are used, just not at the same time and is constantly performing unconscious processes. Professor Bush stated "the brain is constantly vigilant but we are not aware of this...even when asleep, most of the brain is active". So not only do we use more than 10% of our brain when awake but it is constantly being used during our sleep as well. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-11/do-we-only-use-10-per-cent-of-our-brains/5648810)
Myth #7: Bulls hate the colour red.
Myth #7: Bulls hate the colour red.
The common myth of bulls hating red has started in the early 1700 when Spanish matadors used a small red cape to make the bull go "wild". The truth is that red bulls are colour blind and only react to the colours yellow and blue so it was never the colour red that has attracted bulls in the first place. The MythBusters wanted to see if the colour red truly made bulls angry but no one wanted to go up against a bull to find out (neither would I). In result they used dummys each holding a different coloured flag and observed the bulls reactions to each colour including the colour red. The bull attacked each flag equally but was most aggressive towards the flag that had the most movement. In fact, bulls aren't indifferent towards any colour they just charge the flag that is moving the most. (http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/color-red-makes-bulls-go-ballistic/)
Myth #6: Don't touch baby birds.
Myth #6: Don't touch baby birds.
A very popular myth is that if you touch a baby bird or egg its mother will abandon it. "No matter how flighty birds appear, they do not readily abandon their young, especially not in response to human touch, says Frank B. Gill, former president of the American Ornithologists' Union." Birds do not have a very good sense of smell so if you come into contact with a baby bird or egg it is not likely that the mother will abandon it from human touch. In reality a mother bird would only abandon its nest due to a disturbance or if the nest is disturbed by a potential predator.(http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-birds-abandon-young-at-human-touch/)
Myth #5: Don't eat and swim.
Myth #5: Don't eat and swim.
Whether it was 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour, we've all been told to wait to go swimming after eating. I have been told this a million times as a kid but never understood why I had to wait what felt like a million years to go swimming. The myth was told that if you swim right after eating that the stomach will take away some of the oxygen needed by our muscles during swimming and cause you to drown. Dr. Richard Fedorak stated that "in reality, people have more than enough oxygen to supply both the stomach and their skeletal muscles". (http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/no-eating-before-a-swim-rule-holds-no-water-1.525259)
Myth #4: Never swallow gum.
Myth #4: Never swallow gum.
As a kid you were always told to never swallow your gum because it will take seven years to digest. Research proves that the only way gum could stay in your digestive system for seven years is if you swallowed a vast amount of it. Even if you have swallowed a large amount of gum you would notice before seven years because it would cause problems. In result, if you do swallow a piece of gum you don't have to worry about it sticking around in your digestive system for seven years. (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130625-does-gum-take-years-to-digest)
Myth #3: A penny thrown of a skyscraper could kill someone.
Myth #3: A penny thrown of a skyscraper could kill someone.
This one just sounds ridiculous but is a common myth and many buildings won't allow people to throw coins off of their buildings due to this myth. It is thought that the penny could go straight through someone's skull or severely hurt them but in reality the penny would feel like a hard flick to the forehead or a bug hitting you in the face. A University of Virginia physics professor conducted a test and tried to catch the falling penny but with the air resistance it slowed down the penny and only felt like a bug was hitting you in the face, so no need to worry about these killer pennies because it is all a myth. (http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3131332)
Myth #2: Carrots give you better eyesight.
Myth #2: Carrots give you better eyesight.
This myth started in the WWII when the British Air Force said the reason their pilots had such good eye sight was because they ate lots of carrots to help them see their enemy's at night. The real reason they could find their enemy's was because they had radar in their aircraft's and wanted a distraction from this reason. Although carrots do contain beta-carotene which is good for our overall eye health they can't help improve our vision. (http://thoughtcatalog.com/nico-lang/2013/09/13-everyday-myths-you-wont-believe-arent-true/)
Myth #1: Touching a toad will give you warts.
Myth #1: Touching a toad will give you warts.
It's understandable how people don't want to go around touching toads but it will not give you warts if you do come into contact with one. Children are always told to never touch toads unless they want a gross wart in result but that is another myth that has been debunked. Most people assume that is how you get a wart because toads are covered in them, but the animal's skin only looks that way to be able to blend into it's environment to hide from predators. Not only do warts not come from toads they actually come from human viruses. (http://thoughtcatalog.com/nico-lang/2013/09/13-everyday-myths-you-wont-believe-arent-true/)