Things That People Quite Often Get Wrong

By Editorial Staff in Facts On 2nd September 2016

Just about everybody makes mistakes and quite often get things totally wrong. To some degree, we all have skewed and warped views of how things are and how things work. Some of these wrong views are harmless, with little to no consequence to your overall life. They are usually based on facts or misconceptions we were told growing up. Some are pretty dumb if you actually think about it.

#1 You Were The Fastest Sperm Cell

You go, guy!! Sadly for you, though, you were actually one of the slower cells in the batch. Why? Because it takes several sperm cells to wear down the egg's protective outer layer before it can be fertilized by one final cell.

#2 People Swallow An Average Of 4 Spiders Every Year

This one freaks people out all the time and is popular. But was it actually 6 spiders, or 8? It just depends on who you heard the myth from. But, since we are talking about averages, it is most likely more than 0. Why? Even if only 1 person on Earth swallowed a spider this year, that would make the average very small, but positive. The average would be 0.00000000000000000000000001 spiders per year, or something close to that.

#3 The Great Wall Of China Is The Only Man Made Object Visible From Space

Not true, but used often as a matter of fact. Even from low Earth orbit (like the space shuttle) you can see many highways and dams better than the Great Wall because the color of its construction materials blends into the Earth. The Hoover Dam can be seen much better than the Great Wall can be seen.

#4 Carrots Give Your Better Eyesight

So do tomatoes, exercise, and not smoking. During World War II the British didn't want the Germans to know they had radar so they spread propaganda saying the good eyesight of their pilots was due to carrots. And everyone believed it.

#5 Cold Weather Causes A Cold

No, it doesn't. The only reason colds propagate during winter is because of less humidity. In fact, you are more likely to catch a cold indoors than outdoors. Your internal body temperature and immune system are unaffected by outdoor temperatures. And if they are, even by a couple degrees, then you are flirting with hypothermia, which means colds are the least of your worries.

#6 Goldfish Have An 8 Second Memory Span

Or is it three seconds? I can't remember. However, their memory is actually quite good. Researchers believe those kept in a bowl as a pet begin losing memory after several days, but actually start out quite intelligent for such a small fish. You can even train a goldfish to perform tricks.

#7 Chameleons Camouflage Themselves To Match The Environment

It looks good on TV and in advertisements, but it's not true at all. They actually change color because of communication, temperature, and light. Not for camouflage.

#8 Different Areas Of Your Tongue Sense Different Tastes

Nope. All parts of your tongue sense every taste. However, it is believed that a salty flavor is tasted more by the back of the mouth and tongue and even the roof of your mouth.

#9 Daddy Long Legs Are The Most Venomous Spiders

People think this is true, and say that the only reason there are no reported deaths is because the spider's jaw is too tiny to bite a human. First of all, daddy long legs can refer to several species, only one of which is a spider. Second of all, none of them are even that venomous.

#10 Cracking Your Joints Will Cause Arthritis

For those of you who like cracking your knuckles, it won't cause arthritis. But it may lose you some friends. Cracking your knuckles is actually just the bones separating a tad bit so that air pockets can be released, and it's harmless.

#11 Your Left Brain Controls Creativity And Your Right Brain Controls Logic

Wrong. The biggest difference between your hemispheres is that they control muscles on opposite sides of your body. When it comes to more abstract concepts such as creativity and language, though, they are both responsible in relatively equal measure.

#12 Cell Phones Cause Cancer

If cell phones give you cancer, then so do other people. Because people are more radioactive than cell phones. They've been trying to prove a correlation between cell phones and cancer for years, to no avail.

#13 You Get An Instant Rush Of Energy After Ingesting Sugar

This has actually been proven wrong. It's just a placebo. But that doesn't mean people have stopped believing it. Millions of people believe that sugary cereal and chocolate bars make kids hyper, and it's been proven false.

#14 Macintosh Computers Are Immune To Viruses

They are definitely not immune. It is just that since far less people have Macs, there is less of a market for Mac viruses. As more people get Macs, there will be more Mac viruses. For the most part, those nefarious virus creators have focused on Windows based systems.

#15 Undercover Police Have To Let You Know Whether They Are Cops Or Not

No, they don't. Just because it happens in Hollywood doesn't mean it happens in real life. There are no laws requiring this. The policing community relies heavily on informants and undercover police to make arrests and get warrants.

#16 You Can Notify The Police With Your Pin Number

Typing your pin number into an ATM backwards notifies the police? No, it doesn't. It just makes you look stupid for the little camera and eliminates one of your tries to enter your pin number to access cash.

#17 The Color Red Gets Bulls Riled Up

No. Bulls are colorblind. The reason they get angry when the matador waves a red cloth is because of the waving motion. And also because they are usually starved and abused beforehand so they charge at anything moving quickly.

Categories

More