Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: 32 Things you always believed were true but aren't

  1. #1
    Retired Member Haiti
    Join Date
    15th September 2013
    Posts
    909
    Thanks
    9,060
    Thanked 5,813 Times in 895 Posts

    32 Things you always believed were true but aren't

    While researching the question: “how to know if it’s true” I came across this interesting article. I admit to believing nearly all these before I read the article and have also spouted these “facts” to others over the many years I’ve been alive . . . . . Makes you wonder what else we ”think” we know . . . . (btw if anyone knows the answer to “how to know it’s true” then please let me know because I don’t . . .)

    All credit for this post to Buzzfeed at link below with photographs.
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/thi...t-true#2ggpcga

    1.
    There’s no such thing as a sugar rush. It’s just a just a placebo.

    2.
    The Great Wall of China is not the only manmade object you can see from space. You can see loads of manmade objects from space. In fact, the Great Wall of China is actually NOT easily visible from space.

    3.
    It’s not actually harmful to pick up baby birds and return them to their nests, and it will not cause their mother to reject them. Birds don’t really have a very powerful sense of smell, and they probably wouldn’t be able to tell if a human handled their babies.

    4.
    Human blood is never blue in your body. Deoxygenated blood has a dark red, and oxygenated blood has is light red. Blood only appears blue because skin and fat makes it look that way.

    5.
    There are not different areas of the tongue dedicated to different tastes. Every taste can be detected on every part of the tongue. Also, there aren’t just four primary tastes, there are five. In addition to bitter, sour, salty, and sweet, humans can taste umami, which is a savoury or meaty taste.

    6.
    Chameleons don’t actually change their colour to blend in with their surroundings. They change colour to communicate. A chameleon’s colour is used to signal mood, aggression, territory, and mating behaviour.

    7.
    The color orange is named after the fruit not the other way around. Before the late 15th century, the color orange was just lumped in with red.

    8.
    People think penguins mate for life. They don’t. Some penguins stay monogamous throughout a mating seasons, but not many stay monogamous for their entire lives.

    9.
    The story about NASA developing a space pen while the Russians used a pencil isn’t true. NASA also used pencils. The first space pen was developed privately by the Fisher Pen Company.

    10.
    It’s never actually stated that the forbidden fruit mentioned in the Bible is an apple. Some claim that it was more likely a fig or pomegranate.
    The apple was thought to be the forbidden fruit because of an early pun between the Latin words for “evil” and “apple.”

    11.
    Humans have more than five senses. The actual number ranges from 9 to over 20. There’s sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, but humans can also sense a ton of other stuff, like balance, acceleration, pain, and temperature (among other things).

    12.
    Napoleon Bonaparte was not short. At a towering 5’7”, he was actually taller than the average man of his time. His nickname, “le Petit Caporal,” (which translates to “The Little Corporal”) was probably a term of affection.

    13.
    The Earth doesn’t revolve around the Sun. It’s actually revolving around the solar system’s center of mass. The center of mass in the solar system is called the Barycenter. Usually it’s contained within the mass of the sun, but not always. When it’s outside the mass of the sun, the Earth is just orbiting around empty space.

    14.
    Not everyone in Columbus’ time thought the world was flat. Scholars and educated people knew the world was round. In fact, Columbus underestimated the size of the world. If he hadn’t come across the “West Indies,” he and his shipmates would have starved to death.

    15.
    It’s not true that people only use 10% of their brains. Only a small number of neurons are firing at a given moment, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing happening inside your brain.

    16.
    Vikings didn’t actually have horns on their helmets. The image of a Viking with a horned helmet is from a 1876 production of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen.”

    17.
    Swimming within an hour of eating doesn’t actually lead to cramps or drowning. A correlation has been seen between alcohol consumption and drowning (for obvious reasons).

    18.
    It doesn’t take seven years to digest gum. You actually can’t digest it at all. It just passes right through your system.

    19.
    “420” is not the LAPD code for marijuana use. Los Angeles Police Code 420 is code for “juvenile disturbance.” Its also not the penal code. California Penal Code section 420 “prohibits the obstruction of access to public land.”

    20.
    When John F. Kennedy’s said, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” nobody thought he was saying “I am a jelly doughnut.” In Berlin, a jelly donut is usually just called “ein Pfannkuchen.”

    21.
    Humans didn’t evolve from apes. We share a common ancestor.

    Flickr: nathaninsandiego

    22.
    Mussolini didn’t actually make the trains run on time.
    The trains in Italy were in really rough shape after WWI, and the government before Mussolini made a ton of improvements. After Mussolini rose to power, the trains went back to being a disaster.

    23.
    George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth. He had dentures made out of gold, ivory, lead, animal teeth and teeth from his own slaves.

    24.
    Redheads are not going extinct. Neither are blondes.
    If everyone who carries the redhead or blonde gene dies or fails to reproduce, then the hair colors will disappear. (But that will probably never happen.)

    25.
    There wasn’t actually widespread panic after Orson Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds. In fact, not many people even heard it. Aside from some isolated incidents, there was no panic at all.

    26. Bats are not blind. All bat species have eyes and are can see. In fact, some species of bat have excellent night vision.

    27.
    Life expectancy wasn’t actually in the thirties during the MiddIe Ages
    Life expectancy in the Middle Ages was lower, but that’s because the average age was pulled down by a high infant mortality rate. If you survived to adulthood in medieval England, you could expect to live into your sixties.

    28. Houseflies live longer than 24 hours. They live for about 20 to 30 days.

    29. Glass doesn’t actually flow like a liquid. Old glass looks like it’s slowly flowing because of an outdated manufacturing process.

    30.
    Your fingers don’t wrinkle in water because the skin is absorbing water. It happens because of the “autonomic nervous system,” and is thought to have evolved because it gave our ancestors better grip in wet environments.

    31.
    Sunflowers don’t track the sun across the sky. They always face east.

    32.
    The Coriolis effect does not actually make water rotate in different directions while flushing toilets and draining bathtubs. It is a thing, but it’s too weak to affect draining water. Despite popular belief, hemisphere you’re in doesn’t actually change the direction water drains in.

  2. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Calabash For This Useful Post:

    Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), Moonlight (27th September 2014), ronin (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014), Sooz (27th September 2014), Spiral (27th September 2014)

  3. #2
    Retired Member
    Join Date
    13th September 2013
    Location
    The Northeast Kingdom
    Posts
    491
    Thanks
    2,228
    Thanked 2,467 Times in 473 Posts
    #27, I can confirm this from my own researches while writing about history. I drew a graph that covered approximately 300 years so that I could see who had lived when and the majority of lives I researched were a respectable 50 to 80 years even as early as the 14th century.

  4. The Following 10 Users Say Thank You to KosmicKat For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (27th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), Moonlight (27th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), ronin (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014), Sooz (27th September 2014)

  5. #3
    Retired Member Haiti
    Join Date
    15th September 2013
    Posts
    909
    Thanks
    9,060
    Thanked 5,813 Times in 895 Posts
    Quote Originally posted by KosmicKat View Post
    #27, I can confirm this from my own researches while writing about history. I drew a graph that covered approximately 300 years so that I could see who had lived when and the majority of lives I researched were a respectable 50 to 80 years even as early as the 14th century.
    Thanks KK - it would also bring more "normality" to Plato living until he was 80, Socrates 71 and Leonardo da Vinci 67. Doesn't explain why they were so damn brilliant though. Imagine how they'd be today with all the info on computers available to them . . . ?

  6. The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Calabash For This Useful Post:

    Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), ronin (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014), Woody (27th September 2014)

  7. #4
    Senior Member PurpleLama's Avatar
    Join Date
    13th September 2013
    Posts
    1,091
    Thanks
    3,778
    Thanked 7,393 Times in 1,104 Posts
    I have grown sunflowers. They did track the sun, somewhat, and did not all face east.
    Sometimes God shines his magic light beam from outer space, and it works in mysterious ways.

  8. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to PurpleLama For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (27th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), ronin (27th September 2014), sandy (28th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014)

  9. #5
    Retired Member UK
    Join Date
    30th December 2013
    Location
    here and now
    Posts
    1,629
    Thanks
    4,069
    Thanked 9,328 Times in 1,589 Posts
    a man lives in the jungle and for generations knows the environment,it,s uses,it,s dangers and the jungle ways.

    another man lives in the city and knows it,s way,s and how it works for him.

    neither would be able to survive if they swapped roles.

    just as Tesla said none of his ideas came from him but a outside force.
    maybe some people can subconsciously tune into it and receive the information that is available to help them and others.

    the ideas are out there,it is just who is gonna pick them up?

  10. The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to ronin For This Useful Post:

    Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), sandy (28th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014), Sooz (27th September 2014)

  11. #6
    Retired Member UK
    Join Date
    30th December 2013
    Location
    here and now
    Posts
    1,629
    Thanks
    4,069
    Thanked 9,328 Times in 1,589 Posts
    Quote Originally posted by PurpleLama View Post
    I have grown sunflowers. They did track the sun, somewhat, and did not all face east.
    all plant life will track the sun as it in their nature to acquire as much photosynthesis and energy to survive.
    i once planted some shrubs and then found out that they would take years to grow.
    i covered their sides blocking any sunlight and they began to grow taller to the light.
    i reckon i sped up their growing procedure by maybe even a year!

    i,m sh it with maths.but you get my drift.
    then the branches on a tree,every branch is positioned to take in as much sunlight as it can,no matter what time of day.
    so if one is not the other is still receiving the energy.

  12. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to ronin For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (27th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), PurpleLama (29th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014), Sooz (27th September 2014)

  13. #7
    Retired Member Australia
    Join Date
    12th September 2013
    Location
    Near Byron Bay Australia
    Posts
    3,215
    Thanks
    14,019
    Thanked 19,398 Times in 3,150 Posts
    Quote Originally posted by KosmicKat View Post
    #27, I can confirm this from my own researches while writing about history. I drew a graph that covered approximately 300 years so that I could see who had lived when and the majority of lives I researched were a respectable 50 to 80 years even as early as the 14th century.
    That's interesting KK, I always thought most people died very early, like 40/50 years old, on average, a hundred years ago. But I know for a fact that my GGG Grandfather was a ripe old age when he died in 1866. Born 1782. So was 84 years of age. And that was 148 years ago?

    Lol, have I got my maths right? Late at night here.

  14. The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Sooz For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (27th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), KosmicKat (29th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014)

  15. #8
    Retired Member Haiti
    Join Date
    15th September 2013
    Posts
    909
    Thanks
    9,060
    Thanked 5,813 Times in 895 Posts
    Quote Originally posted by ronin View Post
    all plant life will track the sun as it in their nature to acquire as much photosynthesis and energy to survive.
    i once planted some shrubs and then found out that they would take years to grow.
    i covered their sides blocking any sunlight and they began to grow taller to the light.
    i reckon i sped up their growing procedure by maybe even a year!

    i,m sh it with maths.but you get my drift.
    then the branches on a tree,every branch is positioned to take in as much sunlight as it can,no matter what time of day.
    so if one is not the other is still receiving the energy.
    You're right, and so is PL. I think the myth was that the flowers follow the sun - ie that theykeep turning. The heads do follow the sun but turn back again in the night - their stalks would look like screws otherwise I guess. Not relevant to the thread but interesting (imo) to this post: There are small flowers (Livingstone Daises) that open up in the sun in the South African feld, and when the sun passes they close up again, so from a distance it looks like a huge Mexican wave.

  16. The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Calabash For This Useful Post:

    Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), PurpleLama (29th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), ronin (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014)

  17. #9
    Retired Member
    Join Date
    8th November 2013
    Posts
    1,424
    Thanks
    1,803
    Thanked 7,684 Times in 1,382 Posts
    Quote Originally posted by Calabash View Post

    32.
    The Coriolis effect does not actually make water rotate in different directions while flushing toilets and draining bathtubs. It is a thing, but it’s too weak to affect draining water. Despite popular belief, hemisphere you’re in doesn’t actually change the direction water drains in.
    Hey Sooz, which way does water spin when you pull the plug out of the bath in Oz?

  18. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to norman For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (27th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), Frances (27th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), PurpleLama (29th September 2014), Ria (27th September 2014), ronin (27th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014)

  19. #10
    Retired Member
    Join Date
    12th April 2014
    Posts
    1
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 5 Times in 1 Post
    32.
    The Coriolis effect does not actually make water rotate in different directions while flushing toilets and draining bathtubs. It is a thing, but it’s too weak to affect draining water. Despite popular belief, hemisphere you’re in doesn’t actually change the direction water drains in.[/QUOTE]

    I can confirm that this is definitely false, unless I am missing something. While visiting Ecuador they have a place where you are right on the equator (they have a line drawn on the ground). When you take a tub of water and pull the plug, on one side of (one meter away from the equator line) the water swirls clockwise. When you stand one meter on the other side of the line the water swirls in the opposite direction.

  20. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to theApex For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (27th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), Seikou-Kishi (27th September 2014)

  21. #11
    Retired Member
    Join Date
    12th September 2013
    Location
    None of your business
    Posts
    1,226
    Thanks
    4,319
    Thanked 8,564 Times in 1,218 Posts
    The earliest words we have for orange are actually geoluread and readgeolu, which literally mean "yellow-red" and "red-yellow". I guess it's no different than the way people describe turquoise and teal hues as "blue-green" :-)

    Not only do penguins not necessarily mate for life, some female penguins actually engage in prostitution. They offer sexual favours to males in return for aesthetically pleasing rocks. This could even possible denote a currency and service economy amongst penguins. Even more interestingly, as happens in human currencies, often such "penguin prostitutes" will try to make off with the rock without performing while male penguins might try to steal the rock back afterwards. So not only do we have a penguin economy, penguin currency and penguin prostitutes, we also have penguin sheisters

    Another curious point about the Earth's orbit of the sun (sorry, Sun-Earth barycentre) is that if the sun just pinged out of existence, the Earth would continue to orbit the spot where the sun had been (or was going) for just over eight and a half minutes. This is because gravity propagates at the speed of light and it would take that long to "update" Earth's gravity field.

    Concerning blonde and ginger hair supposedly going extinct — this is where being a recessive trait is helpful. There are many people with other hair colours who carry genes for these colours and only don't express them because black or brown hair dominates the lighter gene. I know from my own experience though that genetic heritage doesn't solely determine hair colour, as I've changed hair colour hypnotically. Furthermore, it is often said that people with blue eyes must possess two recessive blue-eyed alleles in order to have blue eyes. Any other allele would override those, it is said. Thus, if two parents both have blue eyes, it is supposedly impossible to have children with any eye colour other than blue (since the parents couldn't give them any other colour). This supposed fact is repudiated in my own family: both of my parents had crystal blue eyes, yet none of my siblings nor I have.




    Thanks for this Calabash; it's been fun.

  22. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Seikou-Kishi For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (28th September 2014), Cearna (28th September 2014), jimmer (27th September 2014), Juniper (28th September 2014), PurpleLama (29th September 2014), sandancer (28th September 2014)

  23. #12
    Senior Member Catsquotl's Avatar
    Join Date
    27th April 2014
    Posts
    1,417
    Thanks
    2,255
    Thanked 7,564 Times in 1,372 Posts
    I saw this today. I was standing north of this field. As you can see the sunflowers are facing every direction..


    with Love
    Eelco
    Have a great day today

  24. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Catsquotl For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (28th September 2014), Moonlight (28th September 2014), PurpleLama (29th September 2014)

  25. #13
    Retired Member
    Join Date
    13th September 2013
    Posts
    680
    Thanks
    10,691
    Thanked 4,237 Times in 670 Posts
    17.
    Swimming within an hour of eating doesn’t actually lead to cramps or drowning. A correlation has been seen between alcohol consumption and drowning (for obvious reasons).
    It would seem that I have spent many useless waiting hours in my childhood. My mom would not let me go in the water right after eating.
    23.
    George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth. He had dentures made out of gold, ivory, lead, animal teeth and teeth from his own slaves.

  26. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Moonlight For This Useful Post:

    Calabash (28th September 2014), PurpleLama (29th September 2014)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •