11 Myths You Need to Stop Believing
You've likely heard of the below 'facts',
the truth of which we never doubted. However, the truth behind these
statements is quite the opposite. Here are 11 common misconceptions,
you've likely thought were facts:
1. Soap kills bacteria
Soap washes bacteria off, but it doesn't kill it. Does this mean you
shouldn't wash your hands? Soap actually rids them of grease, which is a
breeding ground for bacteria, so washing your hands is still a good
idea.
2. If you swallow a piece of gum, it will stay in your stomach for 7
years
Swallowing chewing gum is not ideal. It's viscous base is not
susceptible to gastric juice and does not dissolve in it. Nevertheless,
chewing gum is excreted from the body naturally through muscular
contractions of the stomach.
3. Shaving hair makes it thicker
Once the outer part of a hair has been cut, what remains is a blunt,
non-conical end, which is what feels hard.
4. Touching toads gives you warts
Warts are actually benign growths caused by the human papillomavirus.
You can pick it up in public places or through contact with a sick
person.
5. Hair and nails grow after death
When a person dies, their skin becomes dehydrated and contracts, this
creates the illusion of the growth of nails and hair.
6. The Great Wall of China is visible from space
While the length of the Great Wall is more than 4,300 miles, it is
difficult to see from space as its color merges with nature. The wall
can only be seen under certain light and weather conditions and only
from a low orbit. Highways are distinguishable more often.
7. Bats are blind
Bats do use echolocation to orient in space, however, they also use
night vision under certain light.
8. Water conducts electricity
Water molecules do not contain positively and negatively charged
particles, which is what conducts electricity.
9. Antibiotics kill viruses
Antibiotics deals with bacteria, killing them or stopping their
reproduction.
10. Sitting close to the TV worsens your eyesight
No evidence suggests that sitting close to and watching too much TV can
cause eyestrain.
11. Coke dissolves teeth
You have likely heard of the myth of a tooth placed in a glass of Coke
which dissolved overnight. This occurs due to the presence of three
acids - phosphoric, citric and carbonic. However, these can be found in
many beverages, not just coke.