Most Popular Myths in Science.

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ToxicAdam

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1. Chickens can live without a head - True


2. Water drains backwards in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation - False


3. There is no gravity in space - False

4. Humans use only 10 percent of their brains - False


5. Eating a poppy seed bagel mimics opium use - True


6. A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian - False


7. Adults don't grow new brain cells - False

8. Chicken soup can cure the common cold False

9. Yawning is "contagious" True

10. Lightning never strikes the same place twice - False

11. A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's - False

12. Hair and fingernails continue growing after death False

13. A falling cat will always land on its feet True

14. Men think about sex every seven seconds False

15. You get less wet by running in the rain True

16. The five second rule False

17. Animals can predict natural disasters False

18. Seasons are caused by the Earth's proximity to the sun False

19. The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space False

20. It takes seven years to digest gum False

http://www.livescience.com/bestimg/index.php?url=myths_gumballs_03.jpg&cat=myths
 
ToxicAdam said:
1. Chickens can live without a head - True


2. Water drains backwards in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation - False


3. There is no gravity in space - False

4. Humans use only 10 percent of their brains - False


5. Eating a poppy seed bagel mimics opium use - True


6. A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian - False


7. Adults don't grow new brain cells - False

8. Chicken soup can cure the common cold False

9. Yawning is "contagious" True

10. Lightning never strikes the same place twice - False

11. A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's - False

12. Hair and fingernails continue growing after death False

13. A falling cat will always land on its feet True

14. Men think about sex every seven seconds False

15. You get less wet by running in the rain True

16. The five second rule False

17. Animals can predict natural disasters False

18. Seasons are caused by the Earth's proximity to the sun False

19. The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space False

20. It takes seven years to digest gum False

http://www.livescience.com/bestimg/index.php?url=myths_gumballs_03.jpg&cat=myths
Somebody's been watching Mythbusters
 
These are all popular myths so it is no surprise they have been on mythbusters.


As far as #5 (raindrops) they give this reason:

Actual mathematical equations devoted to this popular question have suggested it is true, though not for the simple reasons you might think. Complexities include factoring in the number of rain drops hitting the walker's head versus smacking the runner's chest.

No citation on where this comes from.
 
if you eat poprocks and drink soda, you will explode

if you swallow watermelon seeds, one will grow inside you

if you swallow gum, it sticks to your ribs for seven years

the only vulnerable place on the black man's body is his heel
 
bjork said:
if you eat poprocks and drink soda, you will explode

if you swallow watermelon seeds, one will grow inside you

if you swallow gum, it sticks to your ribs for seven years

the only vulnerable place on the black man's body is his heel

Achilles was black?
 
ToxicAdam said:
These are all popular myths so it is no surprise they have been on mythbusters.


As far as #5 (raindrops) they give this reason:



No citation on where this comes from.
21. Raindrops were #5
 
FTWer said:
16. The five second rule False

huh

alucco.jpg
 
Actually their explanation about chicken soup curing the common cold seemed to suggest the myth is true, not false:

Cure is a strong word, but science suggests Moms around the world are still right in forcing spoonfuls of chicken soup down their kids' throats. Studies have found that the broth actually contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce congestion.

And their explanation of animals not being able to predict disasters was pretty flimsy. They just said it hasn't been proven and animals die in disasters so if they can predict them it's useless information!

Still a fun read.

Nash said:
13. A falling cat will always land on its feet True

Always?

I'm going to go test this, back in 5!

They did put a disclaimer in the slideshow; something about the cat not being able to flip back over if dropped upside down from less than one foot off the ground. :P
 
iapetus said:
13 is wrong, as can easily be demonstrated by strapping two cats together back to back and dropping them.

Rather than risk that, strap 4 of them together. They will quite literally hover just above the ground, rotating faster and faster until they create a black hole.
 
SnakeXs said:
It's because of the Earth's permanent axis and the direction we face as we rotate around the Sun being constant.
?

We're farthest from the sun in summer and closest during the winter (at least in the northern hemisphere) if I am remembering correctly. But yeah, it's the wobble bitches!!! Wobble woooooo!! Di do1!!
 
Nash said:
13. A falling cat will always land on its feet True

Always?

I'm going to go test this, back in 5!

My friend thoroughly tested this theory at the age of 10. He dropped a cat from 20 feet while wrapped up in a pillow cover. It took three cats but the conclusion was no, they do not land on thier feet.





I also don't understand the seasons theory.
 
Wired said:
What the hell! Why didn't I know this?!
Yeah, it has very little to do with the distance solar radiation travels and very much to do with how direct our exposure is to it. During the summer you get a full-on blast, but during the winter it's more indirect.
 
5. Eating a poppy seed bagel mimics opium use - True

what is an poppy seed bagel?
 
medrew said:
yah, because mythbusters are really scientifical in their approach.

That is what I like about them. They build full replicas of the situations and attempt to create a scientific, conclusive proof.


Also, most of the myths listed are dumb to begin with and are rightly written as myths.
 
>>>1. Chickens can live without a head - True
....

>>>13. A falling cat will always land on its feet True
Maybe a cat, but not a kitten. I remember giving my friends a blood nose when I was younger finding out...
 
Poppy seeds suck. Why anyone would buy poppy seed bagels over sesame seed bagels is beyond me. Here is another reason!
 
Ecrofirt said:
Rather than risk that, strap 4 of them together. They will quite literally hover just above the ground, rotating faster and faster until they create a black hole.


I would argue, since cats come from outer space, every planet where that was tested got swallowed by the Cathole, and thus every Blackhole in the Universe is in fact - a Cathole!
 
Chickens can live without a head - True

I always wondered about this one. I work as a QC in a chicken processing plant. Part of my job is to inspect the kill and evisceration areas. Its freaky to think one day I'll have to take on a literal headless chicken. Apart from my boss.
 
Booser said:
I always wondered about this one. I work as a QC in a chicken processing plant. Part of my job is to inspect the kill and evisceration areas. Its freaky to think one day I'll have to take on a literal headless chicken. Apart from my boss.


why no youtube?
 
Donono said:
?

We're farthest from the sun in summer and closest during the winter (at least in the northern hemisphere) if I am remembering correctly. But yeah, it's the wobble bitches!!! Wobble woooooo!! Di do1!!

0_o

It's the tilt of the axis, not the distance.
 
Boogie said:
0_o

It's the tilt of the axis, not the distance.

That's what he's saying. We're farthest in the summer(atleast the northern hemisphere), but we face it directly so it's hotter.

Another often misunderstood theory is the uncertainty principle. Most people seem to think it's that one measurement makes another more uncertain, but that wouldn't explain it's pertinance to an ensemble of identically prepared systems. Uncertainty is actually a fundamental property of waves, and arises in quantum mechanics due to the probability wave nature of particles.
 
WHOAguitarninja said:
That's what he's saying. We're farthest in the summer(atleast the northern hemisphere), but we face it directly so it's hotter.

yeah, I don't know what I thought I read there. nevermind :lol
 
WHOAguitarninja said:
That's what he's saying. We're farthest in the summer(atleast the northern hemisphere), but we face it directly so it's hotter.

It's the amount of atmosphere that is between us and the sun. It filters out the radiation(light, IR, UV). The more you go to the poles the more atmosphere there is between you and the sun. Which is caused by the angle. Ofcourse the angle changes during the year.
 
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