13 Popular Science Lies that Must be Corrected
Humans Evolved from Apes
Sure, this sounds like an oversimplification of evolution, but really it’s a misunderstanding. Humans did not develop from modern apes. But rather, we had a common ancestor with apes millions of years ago.
Evolutionary biology shows how these different species came from a shared ancestor but took different paths. It’s not about becoming another species but rather branching from the common roots.
Evolution is Just a Theory
In everyday language, ‘theory’ may roughly translate to ‘a guess,’ but in the world of science, ‘theory’ describes a well-supported explanation, or hypothesis, provided by a body of facts.
One such scientific theory is evolution, that is, how species change across time through gene variation as well as natural selection. There is genetic, paleontological, and comparative anatomical evidence to support it. Decades of rigorous research are demeaned by calling it “just a theory.”
Cracking Your Knuckles Causes Arthritis
If you’ve been told that cracking your knuckles will eventually cause you to get arthritis, you can relax. Knuckle cracking doesn’t cause arthritis or damaged joints. “There are no known detrimental effects to cracking your knuckles.” says Dr. John Fackler, an orthopedic surgeon at Houston Methodist.
The sound you hear when you pop your knuckles is the sound of gas bubbles bursting inside the synovial fluid of the joint. It’s not going to hurt your joints, but it will irritate those around you. Just be gentle about it; you don’t want to cause discomfort or irritate soft tissue.
Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice
It’s a well-known phrase but about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. The fact is that lightning is totally unpredictable and can strike the same place over and over again. The Empire State Building is struck by lightning 25 times per year, like most tall buildings.
In fact, it’s not about lightning being rare; it’s about lightning being erratic. Just because you already saw a flash near you doesn’t mean you are now safe if you are caught in a storm.
Goldfish Have a Three-Second Memory
Goldfish don’t possess the three second memory that people are commonly told they do. They can learn simple things and they can remember things for months. It has been shown that goldfish can be trained to ascend mazes, respond to a visual cue, and, yes, even recognize their owners.
This myth must have come from someone not understanding how goldfish process sensory information in comparison to a human.
Bats Are Blind
Turns out, saying ‘blind as a bat’ is far from accurate. Bats can see, and do use their vision to help find prey and search for places to hide. Bats have eyes that function and bats can actually see in low light conditions.
Their superpower has to be their advanced echolocation, they can see by sound in total darkness. I think the myth of blindness comes from their reliance on sound, but rest assured, bats are not blind.
You Can See the Great Wall of China from Space
The idea that that Great Wall of China can be seen from space is a romantic notion that isn’t quite true. From space, without a telescope, the wall is too hard to see. Hard to tell if it’s part of the natural landscape with its color and texture.
This myth probably arose because the wall is so long but visibility is dependent on such things as the lighting, and atmospheric conditions.
Shaving Makes Hair Grow Back Thicker
If you think shaving makes your hair grow back thicker, darker, or faster, it’s time to stop. Shaving only cuts the hair at the skin’s surface; it does nothing to the follicle or growth rate.
The blunt tip gives the perception of “thicker hair,” which can also feel coarser. Genetics and hormones factor into how fast your hair will grow and what type of hair texture you have, but shaving does not.
Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive
Many parents think something like sugar causes hyperactivity in children, and science doesn’t back that up. Sugar can provide energy in quick bursts but doesn’t cause hyperactivity. Children on sugary snacks are no more hyperactive than those on nonsugary alternatives.
“It’s a myth that sugar causes hyperactivity,” says Mark Wolraich, professor emeritus in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Any perceived sugar rush is actually the excitement and stimulation of occasions where sweets are present like in parties.
The Five-Second Rule for Dropped Food
The five second rule, our de facto rule for how edible a fallen snack is. Unfortunately, germs don’t have a stopwatch. Especially on contaminated surfaces, bacteria can transfer to food in less than a second.
Elapsed time is clearly of lesser consequence than surface cleanliness or type of food. It’s better to skip the snack if you’re unsure, and avoid a stomachache.
The Earth is Perfectly Spherical
From space, Earth looks like the perfect sphere, but it’s not. It’s an oblate spheroid; our planet is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator.
The shape comes from Earth’s rotation, which creates a centrifugal force that hurls outwards at the equator. The differences are subtle but certainly enough to tell Earth from a perfect sphere.
The Tongue Map for Different Tastes
You might remember this tongue map from school, but an update is due. Tongue map suggested that different tongue regions taste sweet, salty, sour or bitter flavours. All flavour may be detected by all taste buds.
Some areas are a bit more sensitive to particular tastes, but the map division is an oversimplification. Tongue has taste buds all over it, for a more broader flavor.
